First Love
by Dark Paine
Summary: AU Kagome is a poor peasant girl who barely makes ends meet...Her love life is just as bad, if not worse. But that all changes when a mysterious man 'saves' her...InuYashaYuYu Hakusho crossover. KagYouko
1. Chapter 1

**First Love**

**Chapter 1**

"Kagome dear?" an old woman asked, lightly brushing the sweat off of her brow.

"Yeah mom?" answered the girl named Kagome as she walked into a small hut that she shared with her mother and ten year old brother..

"Could you please get some water from the river so I can make dinner?"

"Of course," replied Kagome with a smile.

Bending down, Kagome grabbed the bucket that was always found by the doorway before leaving. It would take Kagome about ten minutes to get there and another ten to get back.

She noticedthe beautiful sunset as she walked through the small village she and her family resided in.This was Kagome's favorite time of the day.

The colors of the sky at this time of day usually made Kagome think of many things andshe remembered she would be coming upon her eighteenth birthday in a few weeks. She'd been living in this village for eighteen years already.

Her life was nothing fantastic, but she loved it nonetheless. Kagome belonged in a class of very poor stature that made barely ends meet. You could never tell by the smiles her family always had on that they were suffering. They never wanted to worry anyone if they did or didn't have enough food to eat at dinner, or if they couldn't eat anything at all. Unfortunately this did happen.

She enjoyed helping her mother since their father died.It was almost instinctto take some of the burden off of her mother, and in a way she wanted to show her thanks to her mother for raising her so well.

Kagome never once complained;she appreciated everything she and her family had. They were alive, happy, and more importantly, they were together. That's all Kagome would ever need.

She did admit when she was younger, she did get jealous when she would see beautiful women that had gorgeous jewelry and wore equally stunning kimonos.

Never once did she ask her mother why they didn't have clothes like that for fear of hurting her feelings. Even now, at seventeen, she was wearing an old gray kimono she had for the past few years. Even so, she was grateful because she knew there were some people who didn't have clothes on their backs.

Finally reaching the river, Kagome sank to her knees and placed the bucket in the river and waited for it to fill with water.

She briefly wondered what her future would be like. Would she ever get married? Have children? Most of the young women in her village were already married and pregnant. A handful, which included Kagome, weren't.

'I'm not sure I even want to get married. The only thing important to me at the moment is mom and Souta.'

Realizing the bucket was full, Kagome hauled it out of the water before standing up with some effort, and began walking back to the village.

The woods were growing dark and Kagome knew she would be home when she could see the moon out in the sky brightly. A firefly flew past her and she smiled as its light went on and off.

If she ever did change her mind about marriage, Kagome wanted to marry someone she loved with all her heart. She didn't want to settle with someone she could live with, but rather someone she couldn't live without.

Sadly at this time in her life she only knew of one person she could live with. He was the village healers apprentice, Hojo.

He was a nice guy and was well off money wise, but he never gave Kagome butterflies in her stomach whenever she looked at him. He was more of a friend to her rather than a lover. He'd ask her to festivals and to go on walks together, but each time she denied. She belonged at home, helping her mother.

He did come to see her whenever he could and he would even help Kagome with whatever she would be doing. She valued his friendship very much so, as she had another named Sango.

Sango was her best friend since she was little and they had done everything together. But last year Sango left with a man she had fallen in love with named Miroku. Kagome was happy for them, but at the same time jealoussince Sango would leave their village to go with Mirokuand live the rest of their lives together.

Looking back she realized how childish it was and that she might have done the same thing if it were she.

Reaching her small house, she pushed aside the flap of deer hide that was used for a door and stepped inside to receive a warm welcome home from her mother. And at that moment Kagome wished her father was alive because when her mother opened her eyes to turn and make dinner, she saw a deep longing sadness. Kagome's heart ached when she saw her mother like that.

Her mother didn't deserve to feel like this but what was done was done, and Kagome silently wished she would never have to endure the hardships her mother had to.


	2. Chapter 2

**First Love**

**Chapter 2**

It was mid afternoon of another day and Kagome basked in the refreshing smell of flowers that surrounded her.

Whenever her mom didn't need her she would always find her feet taking her to this spot in the forest. It was a beautiful place that no one other than Kagome knew about and she came to it almost every day. Purple, pink, and even blue wild flowers surrounded her as she sat on the cushiony grass, back leaning against one of the many trees spread around the flower infested part of the forest. Small streams of light found its way past the tree leaves, illuminating the almost fairytale like surroundings.

Hojo had come to see her earlier that day and helped with her chores just so he could spend time with her. It was very admirable of him to do that, and to even do it every time he came. You would think he would get bored or frustrated with it but he never did, or he did but just never showed it.

He had told her he was getting better with medicine. He had even told her he saved a man from an illness by giving him the medicine he had made by hand. She had to admit she was very happy and proud for him and she knew he would go far in life.

He deserved it. He worked hard everyday and was always so willing to learn at any given chance.

Sighing with exhaustion, Kagome shifted her back to find a more comfortable position against the trunk of the tree. Her eyes were growing heavy and she found it hard to keep them from closing. Her mother didn't mind if she took a little nap, right?

Finally finding she couldn't resist, Kagome let herself drift into a soundless slumber.

* * *

She woke up with the full moon high in the sky. Millions upon billions of stars twinkles all around. She sat up, away from the trees and rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes. 'I cant believe I slept this late. Mother and Souta must be worried sick.' 

Yawning, Kagome stretched her hands above her head before standing up and wiping the dirt from her kimono. After a few swipes, she deemed herself clean and took one last look around the forest. The scene was absolutely breathtaking.

Moonlight made the flowers look magical in the deep forest. To add to the touch, there werelightning bugs everywhere. It was almost perfect…but something seemed amiss.

A chill went down Kagome's back as she began her journey back to the village. She had never gotten this feeling before and Kagome didn't know what it could possibly be.

A light bulb went on.

"Why is it so-"

Before she could finish her sentence, she heard something rather large land behind her with a loud crash. Her eyes widened and fear instantly took hold of her. Her hands shook as she slowly turned around to face whoever or whatever was behind her. She could smell the stench or blood and almost gagged when she saw just what was behind her.

It was a demon that resembled the most deformed fish she had ever seen. It was covered in blood and standing not so far away from Kagome. She could smell the rotting scent radiating off of it.

"I think I've lost him," said the scratchy voiced demon. Its laugh made the ground rumble and Kagome was afraid that the ground would somehow collapse underneather her.

Looking down at his clutched hand he said, "That idiotic kitsune actually thought he could steal what was mine! How foolish."

When it talked Kagome noticed two more things that made her even more fearful: the demons claws and teeth. They looked like they could crush anything and everything possible with no effort. Fear took over andKagome found her legsunable to support her anymore.Before she knew it, she was on her hands and knees with a gasp.

Unlucky for her the demon heard her and watched her with hungry eyes. "What do we have here? Time to eat already?"

Kagome's eyes widened when she heard the feet approaching and she quickly turned over into a crab walk position.

The demons eyes honed in on her frightened ones and Kagome watched in disgust as it licked its lips. "I can taste the fear flowing off of you, its delicious!" he laughed. "Don't worry girl, it wont hurt a bit when I rip you head off."

Thoughts of Kagome's past flashed through her mind, her mother and Souta amongst them. Would she really die here? What would her mother do?

His ever so fast approach never once yielded and Kagome found herself quickly moving backwards on her hands, feet pushing her. She kept moving until she felt her back hit a tree trunk.

'Oh god no! What can I do to get out of here?'

It wasn't as if she could fight her way out of this, she had no fighting skills whatsoever. Then she…

'I'm going…I'm going to die.'

Curling herself into a tight ball she waited for her death to come.

'Why? Why did it have to end like this? She was supposed to live happily with her mother and Souta! Did someone hate them this much? She grew up helping others selflessly and this was her gift in return? To die…to be…nonexistent?

With every shaky breath she took in, the demon took one step closer. 'I will become nonexistent…and nobody will know.'

It was inevitable and Kagome realized that fate could also be cruel. The footsteps stopped right in front of her and Kagome tensed as she waited for the blow.

He began to choke for a few seconds before all was quiet. Squinting her eyes before opening them fully in disbelief, Kagome gawked at what was in front of her. It was the demon but…there were flowers coming out all over his body and from his mouth, even his eye sockets. Before she realized what she was doing, her hand was reaching out to poke at the demon before she pulled it back quickly, expecting that it was only and illusion.

Finding it was not, Kagome gained a little more confidence and found her way to her feet, studying him with her eyes. 'What could have possibly done that? Or more to the point, who?'

Circling the flower infected demon once, she stopped when she saw his still clutched hand. Declaring silently to herself that he was dead and she was okay, her hands reached out and grabbed his scaly hand. She pulled lightly on his hand once and found it to be securely shut tight. Steadying herself, Kagome used both hands to pry open his hand and after many tires successfully got it open.

But regretfully found that his long nails had actually gone through skin and bone because of how hard his hand was clenched. She had gotten some of his blood on her but found just what he had been holding. It was a beautiful necklace the color of a deep purple that hung on a silver chain. Her hands turned it over to get a good look at it. The purple stone hung in the center of a carved out tear drop the color of the moon. It was absolutely beautiful.

"If you value your life, you'll hand that over to me right now."

The deep voice made Kagome jump and her eyes instantly darted around, searching for the source.

"W-Who are you?" Kagome asked shakily, coming out from behind the demon bouquet. She held the necklace in a fisted hand against her chest. It was getting harder and harder to see things, but the spots of moonlight shining in from the tree tops provided some light.

Making her way over to a patch of moonlight, Kagome stood, waiting for the person to speak again.

Out of nowhere a presence found its way behind her and Kagome, after taking a deep breath, turned around to meet the intruder. What she saw surprised her.

Instead of another ugly fish thing with razor sharp claws and teeth…this one looked almost human, aside from the animalistic ears coming out from the top of his head and the tail twitching ever so often behind him. She only came up to his shoulder. He towered over her, wearing a white robe that was short enough to reveal the white pants underneath. Around his waist was a white sash that went well with his outfit overall. His feet adorned simple black flat shoes.

Bringing her deep blue eyes to meet his, her body froze. Long silver hair lightly brushed against his pale face but her eyes were entranced on the cold golden eyes that looked down at her.

His gaze never wavered from hers as they stood there. "Who I am is none of your concern. You should be thinking of more important things like your life right now." His voice was just as emotionless as his face, not revealing anything.

Clearing her throat Kagome asked, "Did you do that? I mean, kill the demon?"

There was no reply and Kagome took that as a 'yes' before bowing while out stretching her hands. "Thank you for saving my life." She wasn't surprised when his hand didn't brush hers as he picked up the necklace.

After the necklace was lifted out of her hands, Kagome stood up straight only to find that he had disappeared into thin air. She released a long, shaky sigh that she had been holding for some time. She would never forget this day as long as she lived and she never wanted to see anything as ugly as that corroded fish turned flower bouquet.

Shaking off the left over jitters she had, Kagome walked past the said demon to make her way home. Hopefully her mother would let her rest for a long time since this day took a lot out of her. Faintly she wondered of the silent demon that had saved her life, whether on purpose or not, and how he had killed the other demon. Did he know magic or something?

Shaking her head, she rubbed her eyes lazily. That would have to be answered another day; she was too drained to even think anymore.

Reaching the edge of her village, she realized just how precious her family meant to her and that it could be taken away within the blink of an eye.

* * *

This chapter is for A Girl Who Loves Anime because she has been a devoted fan and I just love her :D Happy Birthday! 


	3. Chapter 3

**First Love**

**Chapter Three**

Kagome sat by the edge of the river, washing clothes with some effort. It had been a week or so since she had last seen the demon that hadn't given her his name.

The night she returned home from being saved by the demon, her mother had been waiting for her, a worried look gracing her aged face. She began to panic when she saw bruises on Kagome.

She had ended up telling her mother that she had fallen asleep in the forest and on her way home, shetripped over the exposed root of a tree. Her mother had believed her and with no second thought had begun to wash her cuts with an old cloth that had been soaked in water.

Pausing from her work, Kagome wiped the sweat that was forming on her forehead. Faintly she wondered if she would ever get to see that demon ever again.

A smile found its way to her lips. 'I doubt it. Why would he want to come back here?' Finishing up her work, she quickly squeezed out all the water from the articles of clothing and put them in her bucket before turning to walk away.

* * *

It was strange that she could find herself here again, especially after sunset. You would think she would never come to this place because of her experience, butshe hadn't been here for a week andit didn't even cross her mind that she _shouldn't_come here. 

She sat amongst the many flowersjust like thelast time. She wordlessly glanced over to the abnormally growing flowers in front of a very familiar tree. 'I can't believe its still there,' Kagome silently thought to herself. 'Why hasn't it died? Or at least fallen to the ground?'

It was a mystery but on another note it made Kagome feel safe. Knowing that the demon under all those flowers, if there was anything left of him for that matter, had not moved and would never again do so. Kagome had to admit it was very pleasing not only for her mind, but for the eye too.

Who would have thought such deep red roses could bloom from a vile demon? And to add, they were probably the only roses in the forest as far as Kagome was concerned. When she was younger she used to travel all around this forest and she didn't recall ever seeing such flowers like the ones that were only a few steps away. They looked gorgeous in the moonlight.

Walking over to a nice spot in the forest where the moon shone though the treetops, Kagome laid down. It was a pleasant sensation, basking in the moonlight.

The scent of the flowers that surrounded her was refreshing and helped her to relax. Crickets faintly chirped while the lightning bugs were out and about. Her eyes watched as one flew towards her and landed on the tip of her nose. It tickled and Kagome giggled softly as it flew away.

Once it was gone Kagome noticed a figure that was standing too close for comfort. She blinked a few times in shock before she picked her body up from the ground to rest half on her palms while her legs still lay on the ground. Her mouth hung slightly open in disbelief that he could be standing there, right in front of her.

But he was…standing there…right in front of her…looking the same as he did the last time she saw him. Same outfit, hair, same everything.

She actually didn't know if she should feel safe or afraid for her life. Once she found her way to her feet she tried to conceal her emotions but found she couldn't. "W-What do you want?" she asked nervously.

He stood where he was and the only thing that moved was one of his elegant eyebrows. "I could ask you the same thing."

His deep voice was something new to Kagome since she had rarely been around men, but it was somewhat attractive.

He began to circle her and Kagome's mindhad to focus on other things than his attractive voice. Like, maybe her life for instance?

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Her body turned so that she was always looking at him as he circled her.

He came to a stop and she followed. They stood there just watching each other before he spoke.

"You come to this forest quite a lot. Are you some sort of spy?"

She was taken aback at his accusation. A spy? Did she honestly look like she could be a spy?

"Are you kidding me?" her hands fisted at her sides as she waited for his response but his only answer was to keep staring at her. She shook her head disbelievingly. "I have never been a spy in my entire life! I'm just a mere girl who lives with her mother and brother in the village just outside of this forest!"

Should she have really told him that? That question didn't really matter at the moment. This…this stupid demon thought she was some sort of a spy did.

"If you were a spy, I would have to kill you." The last part made Kagome gulp, the hairs on her arms began to rise.

Why were demons so mean and scary?

'Well at least he wont kill me…I hope.'

His voice brought Kagome out of her thoughts. "So why _do _you come here?" his tone sounded a bit bored.

'Why does he ask stupid questions?' Crossing her arms over her chest she said hotly, "Do you own this forest or something?"

He took a step towards her and Kagome's hostile demeanor immediately fell. She watched as his tail twitched and before she knew it, he was face to face with her, noses almost touching.

"You could say that."

Kagome's breath caught in her throat. What did he mean? "How is this your forest?"

His expression was emotionless. "You humans always ask so many questions it's a bad habit that might just get you killed." He lifted his head away from hers and took a half step back.

He looked rather intimidating, standing there emotionless. He had fierce golden eyes that Kagome couldn't help but stare at. She could almost melt.

"You…you still haven't answered my question," said Kagome softly. His expression never faltered. He moved so swiftly that she didn't realize she was once again against the tree, his face once again close to hers, until her arm was being scratched by the bark.

"I don't believe I have to answer to a human." And with that, he disappeared sooner than Kagome could say anything.

'It was just…err. Does he really think he's superior toanyone! That jerk!' Trying to take a step forward, she was immediately pulled back. "What?" She looked down.

Unbeknownst to her, a vine of flowers had wrapped itself around her. "That…that...that jerk!" Growled Kagome. She was seething with anger until she caught a full glimpse of the flowers that were around her.

They were beautiful pink roses, fully bloomed. Who could stay mad after seeing such a pretty thing?

So she stood there in the moonlight looking at these stunning flowers. After a few moments, the vines loosened until she was able to get out of them.

Turning around, she kneeled on the ground and touched one of the tempting roses. 'I don't think anyone would mind if I took a few.' Determined, Kagome began to pick some of the roses from the vine. One. Two. Thr-"Ouch!"

The little pest had pricked her. Bringing her finger to her lips, Kagome sucked the blood until no more came out. When she was finally satisfied she picked the third one and proceeded to stand up.

'I wonder what he meant,' was her last thought as she headed for home.

* * *

Silently stepping into her home, as to not wake her sleeping family, Kagome walked silently over to one side of the room and picked up a clay vase that had been made years ago and put the flowers into it with some water. Taking one last glance at it, Kagome headed over to her sleeping place and laid down before drifting off.

* * *

Kagome awoke early the next day but found that she was the last one up yet again. No matter how early she woke up, her mother would always be up before her. 

When she sat up she caught an unfamiliar scent that drifted throughout the whole house. 'What is that delicious smell?' Before she could get up her mother came by and sat down in front of her.

"Good morning Kagome! Its such a lovely day today isn't it?" said Kagome's mother cheerfully.

Kagome couldn't help but smile back. "Yea mom, it looks like it will be a beautiful day! By the way mom," she paused, inhaling the smell, "what's that great smell?"

The smile on her mothers face widened as she stood up. "Well, Hojo stopped by the other day and gave us meat that will surely last us the whole week! He also gave us some fresh fruit if you want some," she nodded towards a basket that Kagome never noticed.

As the older woman tended to the cooking meat, Kagome retrieved a red apple and bit into it. It had been a while since Kagome had something as delicious as this was. "I wonder why Hojo brought all of these," Kagome wondered aloud.

Without notice her mother stood up and practically skipped to the other side of the room.

"Why is she so happy?" murmured Kagome, watching as her mother came back with a bundle of…whatever if was wrapped in brown cloth.

"Hojo also brought this," said her mother as she opened the package with care. Her mother grasped what was in the wrapping with both hands and held up a beautiful kimono.

Shock struck Kagome. It was brand new, and nothing like the old ratty kimono she had on right now. It was a deep blue with light blue flower prints that also came with a matching light blue sash. "Its…gorgeous…" Kagome let her voice trail. Her fingers found the soft fabric and she let herself fondle it.

"Why would he buy something like this for me?"

Her mother folded the kimono and placed it in her lap. "Because my dear, Hojo has invited you to go to the festival in another village tonight! He asked for my permission and he just looked so hopeful that I had to say yes!" Her mother cheerfully clapped her hands lightly together.

Kagome's face became downcast. "But…"

'I don't want to go.'

She heard her mother sigh and she stopped herself from saying anymore. Feeling her mother's hand on her shoulder she looked up. "Please do it for me? You never know, you may have a great time!"

They just stared at each other when Kagome found her mother pushing the kimono into her lap. She glanced at it before she turned to the vase full of roses. For a moment she felt sad.

"Let's eat," said her mother, bringing her out of her daze. Once she was handed a plate both she and her mother dug in.

* * *

She was back at this place again; her favorite spot that she visited so many times in her life. Her journey here was oddly filled with anticipation and hope. For some strange reason she wanted to see him again. 

It was late afternoon and she stood in the small clearing wearing the new kimono that was given to her. It fit nicely, surprisingly, and her mother had immediately commented on how good she looked in it. Even her little brother thought she looked nice. She had thanked him but then tried to strangle him because he teased her about being alone with Hojo.

'That little…' thought Kagome angrily.

Her anger passed though as she stood still trying to hear anything that might hint that she wasn't alone. She scanned the area with her eyes, waiting.

Nothing.

There wasn't anything and Kagome suddenly felt depressed and turned to head back. She was supposed to meet Hojo at the edge of her village.

Stupid.

It was so stupid to feel like this and Kagome had to shake her head to get her thoughts straight. The thought of being alone with Hojo made her grimace.

"What am I going to do?"

* * *

Okay, so this is the last chapter I am posting of this story before I only focus on AWC (and the fact I havent written any more chapters to this). So please review and tell me what you all thought! Thank you so much for everyone who has reviewed so far! I love you. ahahah 


	4. Chapter 4

**First Love**

**Chapter Four**

"Hello Kagome!" Hojo greeted as she met him at the edge of the village. He unsurprisingly wore the same colors that Kagome had on, a dark blue kimono trimmed with a lighter blue that had a matching sash.

He had dressed them to look as if they were a couple.

Which they weren't.

_I wish he wouldn't do things like this_, thought Kagome to herself, a little aggravated by the fact she had actually though he would do this when she left her house.

Hiding her annoyance, she greeted him, although not enthusiastically. "Hey Hojo…"

He grinned, not noticing her expression and took her hands in his. "Are you ready to go?" he asked cheerfully.

Kagome took a deep breath and nodded her head. _As ready as I'll ever be._

As they headed to the festival, Kagome bit her tongue when he had her hand, remembering that they were still close friends and that he meant no to harm. She was going to try and have fun tonight.

0000

The town was bustling with people who were all dressed in beautiful kimonos. Once they were deep into the town Kagome made sure she got her hand back from Hojo.

She saw his disappointed frown out of the corner of her eye for only a moment before he turned and cheerfully talked to her. "Would you like something to eat Kagome? It's been a long walk so I bet you're hungry! Stay here, I'll be right back!"

Before she would say a word to him, he was off and running. All Kagome could do was give his retreating form a half smile. "He really is trying hard."

She turned her head up towards the moon, the color reminding her of someone. She closed her eyes and let herself bask in the moonlight like how she would in the forest at this time at night.

_I wonder…_

"Kagome!"

Turning her had, Kagome saw Hojo running up to her with what looked to be three little dough balls on a chopstick.

When he reached her, he was panting heavily. Hojo had obviously been rushed to get back to her. Did he think she was going to wild away into nothing if he didn't get this food back to her as soon as possible?

"Here…Kagome," he said out of breath and handed her the food.

Kagome smiled down at him, mentally shaking her head. "Thank you Hojo."

He looked up at her sheepishly. "I hope you like it."

Kagome eyed the food that she held in her hand. "I've never seen or eaten anything like this before. What is it?"

Hojo took a bite of his and chewed on it before swallowing. "Its called Tako-Yaki. Usually they make it with pieces of octopus but I asked them to give us plain. I wasn't sure if you liked octopus or not. They taste great and are very popular amongst the people who come to festivals. I've had these many times before and I always get them when I come to festivals! Taste it and tell me what you think!"

Kagome turned the food again in her hand. It didn't look harmful or gross looking which was a plus. And there wasn't any octopus in it, which was an even bigger plus. The scent that wafted off of it smelt good. It was just a little fried dough ball of goodness from Kagome's point.

Not needing to observe it any more, Kagome took a bite and could have died happily right where she was standing. It tasted fantastic and didn't compare to anything she had ever had before. It was warm and soft and delicious. Best of all, it made Kagome and her stomach happy.

"This tastes great Hojo!" She paused to let herself swallow the whole dough ball at once. "Thanks so much for buying it for me!"

At least the night was getting off to a good start.

She could see Hojo watching her out of the corner of her eye as she ate the delicious Tako-Yaki. He seemed to be pleasantly thinking by his expression and Kagome hoped he wasn't thinking of something to say to her.

She was wrong.

"Hey…Kagome?"

She looked up from her finished Tako-Yaki stick at him, waiting for him to continue. In her mind she knew what he was going to say and it wouldn't bother her. If he said what he could also say, Kagome knew she would dread it for the rest of her life because she knew what her reaction would be to him. She wished it wouldn't come to that though.

His eyes left her after a moment and he brought a hand up to scratch his head nervously.

"I-" He cut himself off and groaned in frustration a bit. She saw him shake his head before turning towards her. "I'm…I'm glad you came with me tonight Kagome!" he blurted out rather quickly.

Instead of becoming embarrassed and turning red, Kagome just smiled and said, "You're welcome Hojo." Normally, when a guy she liked spoke to her, she would become embarrassed and she would stutter like the way Hojo just spoke to her. But sadly, she didn't have feelings for him like that.

To her, they were just friends. Kagome knew Hojo wanted to be with her and probably eventually marry her but she couldn't. She just couldn't. She would always be his friend and respect him but she could never become his lover.

A loud scream brought Kagome out of her thoughts.

"It's the bandit Youko Kurama! He's here!" she heard a woman not to far away scream and in reaction everyone stopped and became silent.

"What? A bandit?" asked Kagome to herself rather than anyone else.

Everyone seemed to remember the bandit and all hell broke loose.

Eruptions of screams from women and children engulfed Kagome's ears as they ran to get out of the town. Everyone had become frantic just from the name. This Youko character must have been rather scary to cause this kind of a reaction out of so many people.

Kagome only took one step before Hojo latched onto her wrist and ran. "We have to get out of here!" he said hastily towards her and picked up some speed. It seemed that even Hojo had heard of him. Why hadn't she ever heard of the bandit?

It was hard to run in the sandals she wore but Kagome managed. Hojo weaved them in and around other people, making sure never to let go of her wrist.

It almost seemed heroic of Hojo to do this for her but as they kept running, the crowds became thicker and even more crazed.

Kagome was even debating whether or not to tell him to go on ahead and that she would meet up with him but the decision was made for her when a man broke their contact.

No sooner had Kagome been forced to let go, did she lose sight of Hojo. He seemed to disappear in the flood of the crowd. She jumped up to see if she could spot his brown hair out; it was no use.

She jumped again, although it was to look for a place to hide instead of looking for Hojo. She spotted an alleyway a couple of yards away. Deciding she would go there turned and headed in the opposed way the mass of people were going. Almost immediately she was shoved very hard at one point and she soon found herself on the ground shortly after.

She covered her hands over her head in the fetal position and waited as the people stepped over her. Some had actually run into her and Kagome had to bite back the painful tears. When there seemed to be a break in the crowd Kagome looked up hesitantly.

The reason why there was a gap in the crowd couldn't have been any worse. It was a horse still attached to a wagon with no rider running freely towards her and her eyes widened. If she were to be hit by that, it would hurt much worse than any person who had hit into her.

Without thinking, she dug her sandals into the ground and propelled herself out of the horses' way and into the crowd faster than it could reach her. Finding her footing, she pushed through people this time almost roughly to get to the alley she had seen moments before.

Reaching it, Kagome let herself catch her breath as she clutched her hand to her heart and backed into the dark alley so as not to be seen. She took a couple of steps backwards until her back connected to what felt like another person. Kagome whipped herself around and gasped.

"It's you…" she said breathily as her wide eyes took in his form.

He looked down at her coldly, which sent a chill down her spine. She turned her eyes away from his golden ones only to have them land on something that was almost the same shad as his eyes.

In his hand, he held what looked to be a small golden statue that had stones imbedded in it. It looked to be very rare and expensive, like nothing Kagome had ever seen before. It took a moment for Kagome to stop looking at the gems to realize what he was doing.

"_You're_…the bandit?" asked Kagome, returning her gaze to his.

It did make perfect sense. He looked and acted like a bandit since he was hiding from everyone. The fact that she had seen him steal with her own eyes the first time they met didn't surprise her. There was also the stature in his hands that didn't make Kagome think differently either.

He didn't reply; it wasn't a shock. She had gotten somewhat used to it.

Instead, he took his leave and disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving Kagome alone in the alleyway.

When the recognition of being left alone hit her, Kagome felt cold without him there. She hadn't realized that she had even felt the least bit warm when he was there. Something clicked in the back of her head, drawing her attention.

She remembered what the woman had screamed.

"His name is Youko?" Kagome thought out loud to herself.

Letting herself slide to the ground, Kagome smiled and rested her chin on her bent knees. "So his name is Youko. I've never met anyone by that name before."

He had never told her his name when she had asked for it. He had totally avoided her question. Now that she knew his name, for some odd reason she felt happiness just by knowing it.

* * *

Kagome had fallen asleep at some point in time in the alleyway but when she awoke, she felt someone set her down. 

Slowly opening her eyes, Kagome saw Hojo. Their eyes met and he smiled sheepishly down at her tired form. Looking around, Kagome noticed she was home.

Seeing her confused expression, Hojo quickly spoke to her. "I found you in an alleyway and I decided to bring you home. I'm very sorry Kagome for loosing you in the crowd! Are you alright?"

Kagome sat up and patted his shoulder in a friendly way. "It's okay Hojo, I'm alright. How are you doing?"

He nodded and said, "I'm fine."

"I bet Kagome's really tired Hojo, and I think you should be getting home, its rather late and I don't want anyone to worry about you," she heard her mothers voice say in back of her.

Immediately he stood up and bowed. "You're right Higurashi-sama. I'll go home now." He stood up straight and looked at Kagome. "Goodnight," he said before turning and walking out the door.

Kagome's mother knelt down next to her and tucked her into bed. "Tell me about it in the morning, okay? You need to get your rest now," her mother said in a calm, soft voice.

Kagome had no time to reply, the dream world she longed for had already taken over.

* * *

So yes, another chapter to First Love. First, I wanted to thank everyone for the reviews, I really appreciate it! 

I really like this story and I can't wait to continue it. Although I have the whole story planned out, if anyone has any suggestions please share!

If you wish to see previews of chapters, read about my everyday life, or just feel like talking, check out my livejournal. The link is in my profile. I must say though, that my journal is a friends only and you need to add me as a friend to view my postings or just tell me to add you in a review and I'll be happy to :)

Until Next time!

Dark Paine


	5. Chapter 5

**First Love**

**Chapter Five**

Breakfast the next morning consisted of rice and some fruit that Hojo had given them the other day. They said nothing as they ate their food in silence.

It didn't bother Kagome at all but when her mother placed her homemade chopsticks on the old table rather loudly, it appeared the silence had gotten to her. Clapping her hands together, Kagome's mother looked across the table at her. "So Kagome dear, how was your night?" asked her mother lightly.

Kagome knew she was going to have to tell her mother at one point or another and she was ready to tell her almost everything. She didn't want her mother to worry so she would leave the scary parts out.

After she finished chewing the piece of fruit in her mouth, Kagome met her mothers' eyes. "It was a lot of fun, I had a good time."

Souta's eyebrows rose. "Where exactly did you go last night sis?"

Their mother chimed in before Kagome could answer him. "Did Hojo show you around the festival at all? Was it exciting?"

Souta spit out his food. "What? Kagome got to go to a festival? That's not fair! Why couldn't I go?"

"Because Hojo had invited Kagome, Souta. You can go next time okay?" said their mother before she turned back to Kagome, waiting for her to reply.

Kagome put her finger to her lips. "Well, he did show me a lot of shops and stands which were very interesting," she paused; trying to think of something she had forgotten. When she finally remembered, she smiled. "Hojo also got me some great tasting festival food called Tako-Yaki! Oh, it was great!" Her mouth began to water as she tried to remember the taste.

Her mother seemed to take on a sad, distant look. It didn't go unnoticed by Kagome. "What's wrong mom?"

Kagome watched her mother blink and her expression changed to a warmer one. "I was just remembering the last time I went to a festival. Your father had taken me at the time and he also bought me Tako-Yaki when we had gone. I've forgotten how it tasted but I remember loving it also. Hojo reminds me of your father in some ways." Quickly changing the subject her mother said, "I remember Hojo apologizing for losing you at the festival. How did that happen?"

Kagome was starting to think that it really was a good thing that she had thought about all of these things when she had awoken this morning. If she hadn't, she knew she would have messed something up and her mother wouldn't believe her.

Acting as if it had not been a big deal, Kagome answered her confidently. "A horse that was still attached to a cart got loose and I lost Hojo in the crowd so I hid in an alleyway as the people at the festival ran to get out of the way. I guess I fell asleep before Hojo found me since I only remember putting my head down for a moment and then waking up here."

Her mother seemed to believe her so she didn't so anymore questions.

Glad to finally get that out of the way, Kagome finished a piece of apple before standing. "I'm going to the river to wash up. I'll be back in a little while." Turning, Kagome grabbed an old towel and bath robe along with a bowl of cleaning liquid she used for her hair and headed out the door, leaving her mother and brother to finish their breakfast.

The walk to the river was nice and easy, there was nothing rushing her nor was there anything to worry about. The good part about this river was the fact that it was in the forest that she loved. So every once in a while she would stop and enjoy the scenery that never got too old or boring for her.

When she finally made it to the river itself, Kagome undid the obi around her waist.

Only then did she notice that it was blue. Walking toward the rivers edge, Kagome looked at her reflection in the water.

She still wore the kimono that she had on the night before. She had not noticed how well the kimono actually looked on her until now. It really did look nice but for some reason Kagome couldn't wait to get it off. Seeing herself like this didn't sit well in Kagome's stomach as a result when she undid the obi, Kagome quickly took off the kimono and left it carelessly on the ground, not bothering to hang it up.

After wrapping a towel around her naked body, Kagome waded into the water. Sitting down so that the water came to her shoulders, Kagome leaned her back against a rock and relaxed in the calmly flowing water. As she leaned her head back, Kagome closed her eyes, basking in the sunlight that streamed through the treetops.

A sense of peace came over Kagome.

At times like these, Kagome wished she could stay like this more often but she knew it was impossible. Getting up, Kagome walked over to the waters edge -dunking her hair in the water on the way- where she had set the bowl down and grabbed a handful of the great smelling liquid. She slowly worked it into her wet hair until it bubbled. Picking up the bowl, she walked back to the rock where she had been previously. She let the liquid set in her hair and took whatever remained and began to wash her body, never missing an inch. Kagome took pride in the fact that she probably bathed more than any other girl in her village and so she smelled much better.

"I think I'll go work in the rice field to make some money tomorrow," spoke Kagome to herself as she scraped the bowl clean. She had used the last of the body wash and now she needed to restock.

Not many spots were opened for people to work at the rice fields. They were usually taken up quickly but this time Kagome had heard they needed more workers now that she thought about it.

Working in the rice fields was hard sometimes, depending on the day, but the money she received at the end of the day would always be worth it. She could get more cleaning supplies and they would even give her a bag of fresh rice which would last them a day or two.

The left over money would always go to her mother so she could buy whatever she wanted. Sometimes she would even give some to Souta if he hadn't been annoying her at all that day or a few days before. So it was rare that Souta would get to see any money from her.

Gathering air into her lungs, Kagome sank down into the water so it was over her head and scrubbed the hair cleaner out. When she resurfaced, Kagome ran her hands through her now soft and silky hair, raking out any knots along the way. Bringing her hands to the front of her face she noticed she was starting to prune. Not wasting anymore time, Kagome wrapped the towel more securely around her and headed back to shore.

Once she was there she grabbed her dry bathrobe and, after dropping her towel, put it on. Like many things Kagome owned, the bathrobe she wore had been in her family for many years. Maybe in a few years she could buy her whole family new bathrobes.

She tied the sash around her waist tightly and bent to pick up both her bowl and wet towel. Seeing the blue kimono on the ground out of the corner of her eye actually had Kagome debating whether or not she wanted to take the darn thing home or just leave it there. Kagome shook her head in frustration before scooped up the girl Hojo had given her into her arms. She shouldn't be acting like this and Kagome mentally hit herself. "In any case he is my friend." Sighing, she made her journey back through the forest and only stopped at the edge when she finally reached it.

Her reason for stopping stood a little more than a few feet away. It was Hojo. Kagome sighed again. It seemed she was doing that a lot lately.

He didn't look up at her at all until she reached out and tapped him on the shoulder. She giggles when he jumped.

"What are you doing here Hojo?"

He scratched his head and looked down. "I came to apologize about last night."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Hojo. It's all right I forgive you. Stop worrying so much, I understand it was an accident."

He looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "Are you sure its all right, Kagome?"

She rested a hand on his shoulder. "Of course."

His expression seemed to become happier and he became less tense. He had probably been worried about her reaction ever since the night before. It was good that he finally got this off his shoulders.

A few moments passed and they soon found themselves sitting under a tree, which Hojo had led the way to, leaning against the trunk next to each other. Being next to Hojo brought back memories from the night before about Youko so Kagome decided to ask him what had been plaguing her mind all day.

"Hey Hojo?"

He didn't waste any time answering her. "What is it Kagome?"

She let her gaze wander to the sun, which had just started to set. "Who is Youko Kurama?"

It didn't really faze him when she asked him this question. Was he asked this a lot? Regardless, he told her.

"He's a ruthless bandit who takes pleasure in stealing rare and expensive items from other people. He'll do anything to get his hands on the prize. He's notorious for killing many people and that's why so many people know his name and are scared. The fact that he is a demon doesn't make anything better either. May I ask why you want to know Kagome?"

Her gaze quickly returned to his face, a light blush grazing her cheeks. "No reason. I've just never heard of him and I didn't know why all of those people reacted to his name like that. I just heard them say he was a bandit but I didn't expect that _ever_ single person would run as fast as they could away from the festival." She paused before turning to him again, their eyes met. "Hojo, what exactly is a demon?"

She guessed he was not expecting her question by the way he blinked rapidly and turned away from her. He did seem to recover somewhat after a few seconds. "I forgot that you probably wouldn't know what a demon was because they are so rare here. Even I'm surprised at how rare they are here, but outside of this area there are many and come in all shapes and sizes. Some demons can be very small and others can be bigger than a whole village!" He stretched his arms out, accentuating how big they were. "I've never seen one that big with my own eyes but I've heard many stories."

He dropped his arms and turned more serious. "Then there are the demons that can change to look like a human or their true demon form whenever they want. These are the strongest and probably the scariest out of all the demons. The only way to tell them apart from humans is that they still have some of their demon characteristics. Youko Kurama is an example of this. He is a fox demon so when he is in his human form, he still has this fox ears, fangs and tail. In his true demon form, which is a silver fox, it is said he has nine tails and is larger than the average fox." His face returned to hers and blushed. "You wont have to worry Kagome, I'll protect you."

Kagome wasn't really expecting that so she let out a nervous laugh and looked at the village below them. "Thank you Hojo, but I can take care of myself. You don't need to worry about me." Her words were a bit rushed and a little harsh but Kagome didn't care. She just wanted to leave.

Standing up quickly Kagome brushed the dirt off herself before turning and bowing her head towards Hojo. "It's late and my mom will start to worry if I'm not home soon. Goodbye!" Turning on her heels, Kagome began to walk rather fast back to her home, leaving a taken aback yet sad Hojo behind.

* * *

Arriving home was always a nice feeling. Her mother always greeted her warmly and her brother would even be excited to see her sometimes. Kagome changed into her regular clothes and helped her mother around the house until dinnertime.

Dinner with her family was also nice. They talked about their day and what they did. Souta had played with some of the village children that day and he was sure to tell every detail about it. Her mother had done some labor work and gotten paid some money that she planned to spend on food.

Following dinner, they went to bed but Kagome couldn't fall asleep. She was too busy thinking about what Hojo had said. It had been in the back of her mind even through dinner.

Standing up slowly, Kagome made her way quietly outside and began walking to the forest that she loved. She kept her eyes on the full moon and surprisingly she never once tripped.

"So he's one of _those_ demons…" she spoke softly to herself. She cringed slightly when she remembered the other descriptions Hojo had told her, reminding her of the grotesque demon that had attacked her. That demon had radiated with evil power but when she had seen Youko, he didn't seem all that strong. It was a little hard to believe he was one of the stronger demons but he had killed the ugly fish demon without even touching it.

So maybe it wasn't so hard to believe after Kagome thought about it?

Weaving in and out of trees Kagome found her favorite spot.

And found Youko sitting smack dab in the middle of it. Against her favorite tree nonetheless!

She had to shake her head and rub her eyes to make sure it was actually him. But there was no mistaking it; it was Youko, looking the same as he usually did.

He sat on the ground, back against a tree while his legs were straight out in front of him. The light from the moon shone on his body, making him look unreal.

Kagome blushed but didn't look away. The butterflies in her stomach came out and she felt a little lightheaded. _Pull yourself together,_ she thought to herself as she took a deep breath.

Clearing her throat she took one step towards him. He didn't move an inch from where he was and Kagome squinted her eyes to try and get a better look at him. She knew she should have noticed it before but she only realized that his eyes were closed after a few moments of just looking at him. He seemed to be resting peacefully by how calm he looked.

For some reason she felt rather daring. Taking a few more steps she kneeled down next to him. Being so close to him without him knowing felt rather like she was cheating death.

He was very strong and mean from what Hojo had told her and what she saw but being so close to him at this moment, he didn't seem to be at all powerful.

He had a well-sculpted masculine face that looked soft but Kagome wouldn't dare touch him. Instead, she restrained herself to basking in his scent, which smelled like the forest and roses.

She moved her face in front of his and studied him. "He doesn't look evil…" she whispered lightly to herself.

A golden eye quickly revealed itself and Kagome jumped back slightly. Her heart was racing and she thought he would attack her but he still did not move. He only looked at her both coldly and angrily.

"Uhh," Kagome began. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You're in my spot."

He raised an eyebrow.

Clearing her throat, Kagome said, "I usually rest there when I come here," and nodded to the tree he was against.

Hi chest rose slightly and he closed his eye.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at his uncaring behavior. "Are you listening?!" she asked angrily.

She waited for him to answer her and when he did, his voice was bitter. "You, human, are getting on my last nerve." He extended a hand and Kagome got an eye full of his sharp claws. This time he opened both of his eyes. "If you don't keep your mouth shut, I'll run my claws right through you."

His command and burning glare should have frightened her but it didn't. It only angered her. With a huff, she stood up and walked to a tree, sat down, and tried with all her might to glare daggers at him.

Even when he lowered his hand, she kept glaring at him evilly. _What a jerk._

Neither of them moved and Kagome's eyes started to droop late in the night. She tried to fight off sleep, but she succumbed to it faster than she wanted to. The image of Youko resting not far from her was fresh in her mind.

That night, he was in her dreams.

* * *

Another chapter, I hoped you all liked it! Please let me know if you see any errors what you though! I read every review and sometimes I even reply )

I liked writing this chapter a lot and I hope it was long enough. I hope I'm keeping everyone interested in this story. If you have any suggestions let me know and I'll be sure to read and consider it.

Until next time!


	6. Chapter 6

**First Love**

****

**Chapter Six**

The soft tweeting of birds roused Kagome from her deep slumber. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned and then stretched. Taking a deep breath she looked around herself, blinking to get the remaining tiredness out of her system.

Her eyes stopped at the tree a few feet away from her. There was no body against the tree anymore and Kagome pouted. "That jerk. He should have at least woken me up. I have-" she jumped to her feet, eyes wide open and awake.

"Wait! What time is it?!" she looked up into the sky and noticed just how light it was. "Oh crap, I'm going to be late!" Forgetting whatever had been on her mind before, Kagome ran as fast as she could out of the forest, weaving in and out of trees and jumping over fallen logs and large rocks before she ran through her village, only stopping once she got to her house.

Pushing away the deer hide she spotted both her mother and brother eating breakfast, chopsticks in hand.

"Hello Kagome!" greeted her mother, "Breakfast is ready."

Huffing, Kagome spoke hurriedly, "I've already eaten breakfast" huff "I'm going to the rice fields" huff "I'll be back later!" With that she turned and headed for the said rice fields, leaving her mother and brother to look at the doorway awkwardly.

The rice fields were a little ways outside of her village so once she stepped out of her villages' boundaries Kagome became very alert, even as she ran. She had not forgotten what Hojo had told her and she didn't want to take any chances.

There were bigger things on her mind though.

_I hope they'll still let me work! _

There was no telling how many people had heard that the rice field needed workers like Kagome had. She couldn't be late. If a lot of people showed up, someone could take her spot and she couldn't let that happen…her family _needed_ the money.

Pushing herself even harder when she saw the last hill up ahead, which, thankfully, was not steep at all. All she could think about was her family as she reached the top. Once there, she placed her hands on her knees and caught her breath. She tried very hard to control her breathing as best as possible but since she could see the rice fields ahead, the anxiousness took over and she jogged down the hill to the little cabin in front of the rice fields.

Coming upon the cabin, Kagome noticed what looked to be an elderly woman waiting outside, observing the other women working. She waited a few minutes after she stopped behind the woman to see if she would notice her (taking this time to also calm her breathing) but when she didn't, Kagome tapped her shoulder.

Surprisingly, the old woman didn't turned around to greet Kagome.

"Uhh.."

There was still no response.

Kagome looked around nervously. "Excuse me?" She tapped the woman's shoulder again.

This time it looked like Kagome had gotten the woman's attention and Kagome thought the woman was moving to turn towards her but instead she fell face first on the ground, causing Kagome to scream out in fear and rush to the old woman's side.

"Oh my GOD," Kagome quickly turned the woman over. "Are you alr-"

Kagome's jaw dropped.

This…this wasn't an old lady. It was a stupid dummy in the form of an old lady.

"What the?" said Kagome to herself as she held onto the dummy, just looking at it.

"Why hello there miss, what can I do for you?" came a voice at Kagome's side that was cheery and pleasing.

Kagome looked up and saw that it was an old lady. She looked between the dummy and old lady many times. _They look exactly the same. _ "Uhhh…" she didn't know what to say.

The old woman laughed. "I see you found my dummy. I only use her when I go inside to get out of the heat," she bent down to Kagome's ear. "Everyone who works here thinks its me watching but it's actually this thing. She takes over when I get tired." She laughed when she saw Kagome's stunned expression.

The old woman patted Kagome's head while snickering and waited for her to stand up.

Dusting the dirt from her body Kagome stood up straight and almost stuttered as she spoke, still feeling a little weird about the dummy that looked exactly like the old woman. "I came to see if I could work in the rice fields today, is there still room for me to work?"

The old woman's face had gone to a soft concentrating look when Kagome was talking but it swiftly changed to a smiling one after Kagome finished.

"Of course," she spoke, "there is always room for you young ones!"

Kagome observed the old woman turn and pick up a bundle.

Turning back to Kagome she said, "Change into these and grab a basket. Do you know how to plant rice?"

Kagome nodded her head.

The woman clapped her hands, "Good! When you're finished changing, please go to the field to your right."

Nodding in conformation, Kagome disappeared into the little log cabin to change.

It was a little musty in the cabin but Kagome didn't mind at all. It had a floor and there was enough room for her to move around so it was perfect to her. Kagome would have thought the old lady lived her but it seemed that the only thing that was left here are the supplies for the workers.

Looking at the bundle she was given, she noticed it consisted of a shirt, pants, shoes and a bandana to hold back her hair as she worked. They were perfect for working and not wasting any more time, Kagome changed.

Dusting herself off, she grabbed a basket full of rice on the side of the cabin and peered in. She always found it interesting to look at these plants. When she had first worked in a rice field she had stupidly thought that she would be planting little white puffs but was surprised when she would actually be planting a green plant. It always plagued Kagome how they could turn this into those little white puffs Kagome loved to eat.

Placing the straps of the basket on her shoulders, Kagome heaved the basket onto her back and headed out of the cabin and to the field on the right side.

Kagome slid the basket off of her back easily and placed it on the bank. Stepping into the shallow water, she began planting them. She would make a slight hole in the ground and then place the green rice plant in it, always making sure half would be above the water.

She did this repeatedly in a straight line until she ran out of rice in her hand and would then go back to the shore to grab another handful and do the process again.

On her third time back, she stopped and stretched, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"It's really hot today…" Shaking her head, she headed back to shore to get another handful or rice.

With rice in hand, Kagome turned to head back but was stopped by a voice.

"Would you like some water?"

Looking back to shore she saw a girl who looked a few years older than her with chocolate brown eyes in the same clothes she had on but was holding a tray with a water jug and cups in it.

Kagome couldn't help but admire the girls' beauty and she was taken aback.

"It's a rather hot day today and you've been working out here for a few hours now, so please take some," came the girls' smooth voice.

Kagome bowed her head and took the cup of water she was offered. She took a small sip but soon gulped all the water down. She hadn't really noticed how thirsty she was until now, had she really been out here for hours? The day must really be flying by…

Maybe it was because she was more focused on working than getting a drink or remembering the time? But now she was staring sadly at the empty cup, wishing there was more water in it.

"May I ask your name?" inquired the girl, holding out her hand.

Kagome handed her the cup. "My names Kagome, what's your name?"

A smile reached the other girls lips as she refilled the cup and handed it back to Kagome. "I'm Kikyo."

Kagome grinned back at her. "Its nice to meet you!"

The girl Kikyo nodded her head before she turned and left.

Kikyo's walk was very elegant and graceful, nothing any mere village girl would possess.

_I wonder what she's doing here._ Kagome's eyes only followed Kikyo's form until she stopped to give a drink to another girl. _I've never seen her around; maybe she's from a village far away?_

Kagome kept her questions to herself and finished her drink. She placed the now empty cup on the bank and grabbed more rice, which happened to be the last batch in her basket. _Thank God. I thought my back was going to break if I had another hour's left of rice._

As she walked to the spot where she had placed the last rice plant, Kagome took the time to stretch again and try to get the mild pain out of her limbs. She also took this time to study her surroundings and take in just how magnificent they were.

There was flat open land that stretched for miles before there were any hills to the east or west. The grass was a vibrant green, which Kagome always loved to look at. The land looked so free and Kagome wished she could just lie down in the grass and fall asleep for hours.

The moment she reached her destination she was just about to turn but something out of the corner of her eye stopped her, causing Kagome to whip in its direction only to see nothing.

Her eyes narrowed almost angrily. _I could have sworn there was something silver;_ her eyes searched the open area, _could he really be here?_

If he were, would he try and steal some…rice?

…

Why the heck would he steal rice?!

Yea, it was the only thing here but there was nothing special about it. Kagome shook her head and her face turned sour. "Why do I have to always think that he's near when he never is?!" She growled in frustration and rapidly set to work at planting the last few pieces of rice. "I can be such an idiot sometimes!"

_Really_? Why **was **she such an idiot?

Rushing to plant the last rice, Kagome shoved it into the ground rather harshly, turned and basically stomped back to shore, grabbed her basket and proceeded back to the hut.

Once she placed her empty basket on the side of the house, Kagome picked up her other set of clothes and stepped inside the hut to change. It didn't take long to change out of her working clothes and into her other set when she was frustrated but she knew she would need to clean herself at least with water to not feel as dirty as she was now until she bought cleaning supplies.

After she folded her working clothes she laid them down next to the other sets of clothing and walked out of the hut, shutting the door behind her.

Stepping out into the now cooler area, Kagome noticed that it was only herself and the old woman left. Turning her head Kagome tried to look down the road to see if Kikyo was nearby, but Kagome couldn't see anyone. "I wonder where she is?" spoke Kagome to herself.

"Where who is dear?" came the old woman's voice calmly although it made Kagome jump slightly. She wasn't expecting the old woman to reply.

Kagome shook her head, "Oh, nothing."

The old woman only smiled and held her hand out. "Thank you so much for your help. Here is your pay and a bag of rice."

Kagome grabbed the items swiftly but not because she was feeling a little greedy, but rather because she was afraid the old woman would hurt herself is she kept holding the semi-heavy bag of rice out.

Clutching the money and free bag of rice to herself, Kagome bowed with a "Thank you."

Standing straight up again. Kagome noticed how late it was getting and she knew she didn't have any strength to run home as she did when she ran here. Turning back to the old woman Kagome asked, "Excuse me, but do you know if there is a shorter way to the village beyond those hills," she nodded in her villages' direction.

The old woman stared in the direction of Kagomes' village, eyes seeming to become distant before returning normal. She nodded her head. "If I do remember correctly, this is a trail through the forest that will take you straight to it!" she pointed to the forest a little ways past Kagome.

Kagome grinned and for a moment her body tensed. "Have…have there been any sighting of demons?" Kagome knew if the woman said yes that she wouldn't dare step one toe on that trail.

The woman's' eyebrows rose in surprise. Kagome guess no one had bother to ask her that question for a while but she answered anyway. "Oh, don't worry dear, there hasn't been a demon around here in months. You will be perfectly safe."

Kagome once again grinned at the old woman and bowed. "Thank you very much!" said Kagome quickly and jogged off in the direction where the old woman pointed in.

"Watch out for animals!" yelled the old woman after Kagome's retreating form.

Finding and reaching the trail only took a few moments before she set off into the forest at a nice flow pace. The smell and feel of the forest seemed normal to Kagome and she didn't feel threatened at all. All the bird chatter that she loved comforted her and it made walking through the unfamiliar forest all the more comforting.

Thoughts of the blurred silver came to Kagome's mind as she walked. Erasing any jokes and funny images of Youko running away with a bag of rice in hand, Kagome wondered what could have possibly been there that was of any value. Was the old lady hiding something?

Or was he there just to watch over here.

The thought brought a massive amount of butterflies to erupt in her stomach.

Maybe…he was interested in her? She found him very interesting so maybe he thought the same about her?

She clutched her items to herself. "I can't wait to see him," she said happily, almost skipping down the trail. She knew after dinner she would go straight to her favorite spot to wait if he would come and even if he didn't, she would just be happy to wait for him. This would all be after she ate and gave her mother the money of course.

When she reached the top of a hill, everything seemed to become very quiet and Kagome immediately felt tense.

"What's going on?" She whispered to herself.

Almost immediately she searched through the wooded forest on either side of her but found nothing, only making her panic. Turning back to the trail ahead of her she saw him.

She jumped slightly, she knew there was nothing there a second ago but now he was standing a couple of yards in front of her with his back towards her.

Her heart seemed to pick up but not out of fear. She really couldn't deny the fact that she really liked to see him. He was like her knight in shining armor if you would like to put it that way, although Kagome knew it was a pretty stupid way to put it. Even if he hadn't saved her on purpose the first time they met, she was still thankful to him…he didn't seem _that _bad either.

She whispered his name under her breath and moved to go to him, a small smile playing on her lips but she abruptly stopped when a rush of squawking crows shot out of the forest trees.

Another demon shot out of the trees straight for him and Kagome was rooted to the spot, too scared to move as she looked on, eyes wide open.

The demon was two times the size of Youko and looked horrendous. It was probably the largest wild boar Kagome had ever seen. The smaller ones were just as ugly but this one seemed crazed and had foam dripping from its mouth.

Kagome knew Youko didn't stand a chance…right? That thing was **huge** and would kill Youko by its weight alone…but Youko didn't seem fazed by the size or by just how ugly it was.

He just held out his claws as the boar fell towards him and when the animal got close enough, Youko ran his sharp claws through the demon as if it were nothing, starting from the bottom jar and ending at the tail.

It split in half right behind him, blood spurting everywhere on the ground and on the trees, some even landing on Kagome's face. She didn't feel it though, she had become numb the instant she saw and heard the flesh of the boar being ripped in half.

The smell of the blood pouring onto the trail ground mesmerized Kagome. She followed the bloody trail until she came upon Youko's back that still faced towards her as she brought a violently shaking hand up to her face to touch a now wet spot.

Her heartbeat was loud in her ears as she looked at her hand that had smeared blood on it. Her breath caught in her throat and she let the two bags drop from her hands as her knees gave out on her.

She rested on her hands and knees, face down towards the ground as sobs racked her body. To watch what Kagome thought was a powerful creature be slaughtered by something two times smaller than it was very scary to Kagome. It was just like a bumblebee beating the crap out of a dog.

She couldn't wait to see _this_? To see this **monster** that could destroy practically anything it wanted to.

Was Hojo right? Would he kill _anything_ to get to what he wanted?

Even her?

Her whole body shook as she raised her head just in time to see Youko bend down and pick up a large and thick red jewel from the boars' dead body.

When he stood up, their eyes met. He looked at her tear and blood streaked face while she stared wide-eyed at his cold and smooth face looking indifferent. It stayed like that for only a moment and he disappeared into the forest on her left.

Kagome's eyes didn't follow him, instead they bore into the demons dead body, still stunned that such an animal could be destroyed by something much smaller.

Was the difference in power between a demon like Youko and a demon like the boar **that **great?

Kagome's mind went blank until darkness surrounded her and when the only light came from the moon. Only then did she make her way to her feet, loosely grabbing both of the bags on her way up.

She felt completely numb as she began to walk on shaky legs into the forest oh her right. What seemed to be only minutes to Kagome was actually an hour when she turned around, not seeing the trail or anything besides trees behind her. She didn't bother trying to listen to anything, the sound of her breathing filled her ears even when she turned back around and took a few more steps until her knees buckled and she fell to the forest floor.

Her energy was spent and Kagome knew she couldn't get up. Letting her eyes close, Kagome let herself sleep.

* * *

Opening her eyes slowly, Kagome realized she was standing rather than on the ground where she had been. The scary par was that she was in the forest she loved and not in the one where she had fallen asleep in.

"Was I sleep walking? How did I get here?"

A twig snapped off to her left and her body whipped in its direction. Her body froze as she watched Youko's frightening form walk up to her calmly until they were a few inches apart. Her breathing became heavy and the hairs on her neck stood straight up.

"Youko…"

His name was a whisper on the wind as he looked at her coldly before his clawed hand shot out and pierced her through the chest.

* * *

The scream that erupted from Kagome's mouth woke the whole forest and she shot up, heart racing and coated in sweat.

She covered her face with her hands and let her body calm itself. "It was a dream. Just a dream."

Wiping the sweat from her forehead she looked up and found Youko standing a few steps away from her.


	7. Chapter 7

**First Love**

**Chapter Seven**

Kagome's heart raced as her deep blue eyes met his gold. He was standing there…right in front of her, looking as cold as ever and glaring at her.

How was this possible? Why was he here? She remembered how he had disappeared right after he….

In her fright, she was the first to break the glare in favor of scanning the area, looking for a way out and maybe something she could use as a weapon if need be. Even though she knew a stick or rock was nothing to him, it would help her feel a little more comfortable.

But just a little was all she needed.

As she observed the surrounding area, Kagome noticed things that were oddly familiar…like the flowers that surrounded both her and Youko…and the tree she was leaning against.

She should have realized sooner that she was in the same spot that she loved to visit almost every day…the same spot where _he _had been the last time she had come here.

But, how did she get here? Hadn't she run away into unknown woods and fallen asleep there? Wouldn't she have woken up if he had carried her here? Was he that quiet and careful?

Under all of Kagome's fear at the moment, she felt a little frustrated.

Looking back up at Youko she asked him shakily, "Did you bring me here?" Her eyes were pleading with him to say anything.

He took a few steps forward, not answering her.

His action only made the sound of her heart beat ring louder in her ears. Images of her dream began to flash through her mind. The one that stayed the longest was when he pierced her through the chest with his _hand_ uncaringly.

Kagome's mind was screaming at him. _Stop…please stop!_

But the words just would not come out.

Her eyes were glued to his face while her hand instinctively shifted at her side, desperately trying to grasp onto anything.

Her hand did hit something but not what she was looking for. Clutching her hand around one of the bags she hid it behind her back.

_I'm sorry mom…but its either I get killed or this money…I know you'll understand!_

Blocking out the pain as she pushed herself up the rough bark of the tree, Kagome glanced down at the other bag with rice with sadness. _I am sorry._

She turned back to Youko and saw him watching her emotionlessly. Trying her best to narrow her eyes at him, Kagome's grip on the bag of money tightened before she screamed, "You **jerk**!" and whipped it at his face.

As soon as the bag left her hand, Kagome bolted to her left, not caring if he caught the bag or if it really did hit him in the face. If it did hit him in the face…good.

The only sound Kagome heard was her heart pounding in her ears. And the thought that she might escape him with her life was all she needed to think.

The sound of an arrow soaring through the air and piercing her in the shoulder did not register as she lost her footing and fell to the hard earth beneath her, eyes catching Youko's only for a moment before they closed.

* * *

That damned human actually almost hit him with this…this pitiful amount of human money. His face lifted to look at her retreating form just as an arrow shot past his ear, connecting with the girls shoulder. He watched her lose her footing, sending her weak body falling limply to the ground.

His eyes widened a small fraction when their eyes met, but then returned to a cold golden. Dropping the worthless bag on the ground Youko elegantly pulled a red rose from beneath his long silver hair and formed the rose into one of his favorite weapons. He used the rose whip many times and never got tired of the thorn filled green whip. It always came in handy catching demons out of the air, which he planned to do with the one that was coming at him from above.

So, gripping the whip slightly, Youko sent it into the air to latch onto the attacking demons ankle and pulled down roughly, slamming it into the ground with little to no effort.

A cloud of dust sprung from the hole the demon made which was followed by a loud fit of coughing and curses. Everything happened in a matter of seconds.

Youko rested the whip at his side but still held it as he waited for his enemy to make its way out of the hole.

Once Youko was able to get a good look at what he was fighting, he scoffed. His action didn't go unnoticed by his foe. "I wouldn't act so tough if I were you."

Youko raised his eyebrow. "Really? Then would you mind telling me why a disgusting half-breed like you is attacking me?" Youko watched as the half-breed dressed in red readied his sword.

"You reek of blood, demon. I could smell it from miles away and your scent was all over the dead boar carcass so I decided a good fight would do me a lot of good!" He drew his sword above his head. "I'm going to cut you down right where you stand demon!" wasting no time, he ran at Youko, not seeming to hold anything back.

Youko readied his rose whip once more. "That's hardly a reason to come and attack me but I'd like to see you try," said Youko as he waited for the half-breed to get just to where he wanted him to be and then he attacked, wrapping his whip around the handle of his foe's sword and ripped it from the half-breeds grasp sending it flying through the air to land somewhere in the woods.

The moron didn't seem to notice anything until Youko grabbed him by his throat and squeezed. "Now tell me something, fool. Why-" He was cut off by someone behind him. The sound of an arrow being notched also caught his attention.

"Put him down demon!"

Youko slowly turned to see a woman dressed in white and red along with what looked to be some villagers standing behind him pointing arrows at him. He narrowed his eyes at her, silently debating whether or not to kill her in the back of his mind. Even all of them together would be no problem. Deciding he had had enough for the time being, he abruptly released himself from the half-breed.

"Are you alright InuYasha?" asked the woman, still eyeing Youko.

After another coughing fit, the half-breed InuYasha grunted from his spot on the ground and she took it as a yes.

"You should take responsibility," Youko began as his eyes found Kagome on the ground, blood coming from the wound on her shoulder, "for those you have harmed."

She seemed to flinch for a moment.

"Lady Kikyo, over here!"

Youko watched this Kikyo turn her eyes in the direction where one of the villagers was knelt down next to Kagome. He heard her gasp in surprise but she did not move. Guessing it was his time to leave, he turned and disappeared.

Once the demon was out of sight, Kikyo ran to the girl's side. "Please, step aside," commanded Kikyo calmly, wasting no time at all kneeling down next to the fallen girl.

Quickly putting her hands to work, Kikyo ripped the shirt from the girls back. "InuYasha, get me some bandages and a needle and thread." Working as fast as she could, Kikyo used the girls' shirt as a rag and wiped the oozing blood from around the arrow and some that had traveled down her back.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that some of the girls blood had gotten onto some of the pure flowers that surrounded them. The sight of this made her more dedicated to help save this girl.

Placing one hand on the girls skin around the arrow and the other on the base of the arrow, Kikyo tightened her grip and pushed down on her back while she pulled the arrow out. Blood came pouring out as expected and Kikyo temporarily plugged it with the bloody rag until InuYasha gave her the needle and threat at which she threw the rag aside and proceeded to stitch the girl as swiftly as possible.

When she was finished (and when InuYasha was not looking), they turned her over, never letting her back touch the ground thanks to a female villager that helped support her while Kikyo bandaged her.

After the bandages were secured into place and were almost impossible to move, Kikyo was able to get a good look at the injured girls face. Her heard dropped.

"Its…you…"

The innocent girl she had met at the rice fields who had been very friendly and kind to her. What was she doing here at a time like this?

"What was that Kikyo?" asked InuYasha, not daring to turn around yet.

Kikyo cleared her throat. "It's nothing." She stood, holding the girl in her arms. "Come here InuYasha, I need you to carry her back to our village."

InuYasha huffed, "Why me? I'm not the one who hurt her!"

Kikyo glared at him and he cringed. "Fine! I'll do it!"

Saying nothing more she placed Kagome on InuYasha's back before they set off back to their village.

* * *

"—is it going to take before she wakes up?"

_What?_

"It could be a while yet but—"

"Wait, she's waking up Kikyo."

As predicted, Kagome slowly opened her eyes to look at a familiar face. She seemed a little taken aback to see her again but she was able to at least say her name. It was hard to forget. "Kikyo?" She moved to get up but a sharp pain in her shoulder stopped her.

"Please do not move you need your rest." She lightly touched Kagome's shoulder to emphasize her words.

"Yea, we wouldn't want you to open your wound and get this whole place bloody," spoke InuYasha a little nastily.

"Be quiet InuYasha," ordered Kikyo a harshly.

_That's right._ Kagome thought. _I never left the forest…_

Kagome's eyes wandered to this InuYasha that Kikyo was speaking to and almost had a heart attack.

He looked almost exactly like Youko, only he wore different clothes and he was a lot more talk-a-tive and arrogant, especially by the way he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, not even looking at her when he spoke, which automatically drew her eyes to his face.

He…he had the same eyes and colored hair as Youko did…and he even had ears on the top of his head…but Kagome also noticed that even though they looked alike, she wasn't attracted to him at all.

Turning her gaze away from InuYasha, Kagome said, "You look a lot like him."

InuYasha turned to her and regarded her a little coldly. "Like who? The asshole that was with you in the woods?"

Kagome nodded her head.

"I too noticed their similarities but there is one big difference between both of them," said Kikyo. "InuYasha is a half demon while the one you speak of is a full demon."

Kagome turned her head towards Kikyo. "Half demon?"

Kikyo nodded. "Yes. A half demon is brought into this world with one of their parents being a full blooded demon wile the other is fully human."

Kagome's eyes returned to InuYasha, who was busy staring at a wall that was neither in Kagome's nor Kikyo's direction.

Deciding to change the subject Kagome asked, "Where am I?"

"You're in our village far beyond the mountain. You are safe here so there is nothing for you to worry about."

Kagome nodded before realizing what Kikyo had just said. "Wait. _Beyond_ the mountain? My village is on the mountain, both my mom and brother are there...and I heard that places around here are full of demons…"

"Calm down Kagome. You will stay here until you are better and in that time, InuYasha will go and inform your family that you are here. Our village is a very holy one and demons never venture close to here and InuYasha also helps take care of threatening demons that are headed our way. The demon who you were with told us to take responsibility and although I don't take orders from a demon, I will take care of you."

Kagome looked up at Kikyo with surprise. "He said that?"

Kikyo slightly nodded her head.

Well that was a surprise. Youko was actually looking out for her?

Kagome blushed a bit but stopped once Kikyo cleared her throat.

"I want to apologize for my villagers mistake. He thought you were the demons accomplice and that is why he shot at you." She bowed her head very low, meaning every word she said. "I hope you can forgive myself and our village for out horrible mistake."

Kagome blinked. "Oh, uhh."

"You do not have to forgive us right away, to make up for this, we will heal you and bring you back to your village."

"Thank you."

All fell silent until Kagome spoke up. "Can I ask why you were after him?"

Kikyo looked at her before her gaze went to the fire in the middle of the room. "InuYasha had picked up the strong scent of blood and he followed it, eventually leading us to both you and the demon. InuYasha got a little carried away and I also apologize for that. He could also smell some blood on you but it wasn't nearly as strong as the demons. That is also a reason why we thought you were his accomplice."

Kagome turned her head to the side. "I see…"

Making her way to her feet, Kikyo stood and proceeded to the door, InuYasha not too far behind her. "We'll leave you to rest now. Please do not move around or you could open your wounds and we do not need you losing more blood." Bowing her head again Kikyo and InuYasha left the small one roomed house to Kagome and moved out into the newly lit sky.

"Do you really think she is not in on all the killings Kikyo?" asked InuYasha once they were at Kikyo's one roomed house and well out of human earshot.

"I know for sure that Kagome had nothing to do with it. She might know that demon but I did not sense any evil in her." Deciding to end their little conversation, Kikyo disappeared inside her home, leaving InuYasha to watch over the village.

* * *

Soon after Kikyo and InuYasha left Kagome to herself, she fell asleep. The dream she had wasn't much different than the last one at first. She was surrounded in darkness but then it changed. This time, after waiting for a few moments, Kagome began to glow. Not because of her body, but because of the glowing flowers that seemed to be rapidly sprouting up from the dark on either side of her, making a clear path straight to him.

The flowers were like the ones in her favorite part of the forest and there were even some white and blue roses. It was a very calm and beautiful sight and it meant a lot to her even in her dreams.

Looking at Youko she noticed he had an earthly glow about him and the fireflies seemed to help in his appearance. He turned slightly back to look at her before she woke up.

"He's here…" spoke Kagome to herself in the dark.

Ever so slowly Kagome found herself able to stand, the pulling in her shoulder hurt badly, but her mind wouldn't let her stop. Clutching the blanket to her form with one hand while the other grasped whatever sturdy object there was around; she headed outside into the now cold night air.

_I slept the whole day away?_

It surprised her greatly how what seemed to be a one minute dream lasted hours.

Kagome let her feet take her up a small hill not too far from the village to sit a little lower from the top facing a beautiful flowing river.

_Wow, the river I bathe in goes this far?_

She glanced about; trying to find the mountain her village was on but was only able to see the top of it from where she was. "I really am far away from home…"

She let her head fall down and sighed. "I just have to work through this and then I'll be home soon mom."

Saying those words to herself helped her feel a little determined and she raised her head a little higher than she usually would. A small light out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and realized it was a firefly. It was yet another thing that reminded her of Youko.

Her thought of him changed somewhat although she was still somewhat scared of him, he did tell Kikyo to take care of her in a way. She shook her head.

"I honestly don't know why I like him so much. I must be crazy." Kagome moved her hand to rest on the ground but quickly pulled it back once it came into contact with something that wasn't a hard ground. She grimanced in pain for a moment from her fast reaction but it passed in seconds.

Instead, she had touched a blooming red flower. Kagome looked around and noticed that there weren't any other flowers around her, only grass. She watched the flower questioningly and almost jumped when it began to bloom right in front of her. Her eyes softened at the now fully bloomed red rose. "Only he could have done this."

_Only he could make me smile like this._

* * *

I hope you all liked it! And I hope you all had a great holiday :) New Years is tomorrow and I have no idea what I am doing lol.

But in any case, tell me what you thought!

Until next time!

Dark Paine


	8. Chapter 8

**First Love**

**Chapter Eight**

Waking up back in the hut almost annoyed Kagome. She had planned on sleeping right next to that lovely rose that night but that jerk had found her and forced her to come back. He had even yelled at her for being out there!

InuYasha.

The name annoyed her to no end.

He was so rude and arrogant, not to mention bossy, and he was nothing she had experienced before aside from Youko, although Youko wasn't that bad...aside from his death threats and disappearing on her…okay so maybe they were a little similar. But Kagome couldn't believe she had actually compared them at one point. Yea, they did look similar, but their personalities were totally different…right?

Youko wasn't annoying or as arrogant as InuYasha. He was mysterious and not annoying…. Kagome's eyes dropped from the ceiling to the wall beside her.

That was really the only thing she knew about Youko and that he had saved her a few times and was "kind".

It seemed she knew more about rocks and InuYasha than she did about Youko. She remembered though, that it would take time to build a relationship with someone and she would take her time.

A knock from outside her hut took Kagome out of her thoughts.

"Come in," called Kagome from her spot on the floor.

She watched Kikyo, new bandages in hand, step gracefully through the door and kneel down beside Kagome. "InuYasha has gone to tell your family that you are safe and with us. He should return here tomorrow." Her words flowed pleasantly from her mouth and comforted her. Kikyo was probably one of the calmest people Kagome had ever met.

"Thank you."

Kikyo grinned. "It's not trouble. It was the least we could do. Now its time to change your bandages."

Nodding, Kagome got up with help from Kikyo and then the older girl proceeded to change Kagome's bandages.

It was a little embarrassing to be topless in front of another people, but since it was another girl it wasn't all that bad although it still made Kagome blush.

"How did you meet InuYasha?" asked Kagome before she hissed in pain when Kikyo put medicine on her wound.

Kagome felt Kikyo still for a moment before she finished changing Kagome's bandages and moved to kneel beside Kagome once again. Wrapping the blanket around herself, Kagome waited patiently for Kikyo to begin.

"I met InuYasha last winter when myself and others that had traveled with me were returning to this village. On our way we came upon a village that had been destroyed recently. I can still smell the smoke that burned from the fallen houses." She took a breath here. "InuYasha had been the only survivor and at the time I was not in a good state. When I saw him I thought he had destroyed the village.

"When he became arrogant I aimed my arrow at him without thinking and I was determined to shoot him down…for some reason I stopped. The next thing I knew I was dropping my weapon and telling him he could not have done this because he was a half demon and he was too weak. He said nasty remarks to me but I ignored him and dropped my arrow on the ground.

"Myself and the people traveling with me buried the dead with our bare hands."

Kagome watched Kikyo's eyes become distant. She must be remembering every moment all over again. It had only been a little less than a year so it must be still fresh in her memory. Kagome listened intently as she continued.

"We buried all of the deceased and prayed for each of them. It was one of the hardest things for me to do and I have never stopped wishing that I had reached that village sooner; I knew if I had I could have been able to do something. It gave me a little condolence that I was able to burry and pray for them though.

"From that day he followed me and silently watched me for weeks and I pretended not to notice. He watched me with my guard down and he could have killed me just as easily as he could have when I first lowered my bow, but he didn't. I wondered how long that would go on for but he surprised me and jumped down from a tree and asked me to fight him." The side of her mouth turned up slightly. "I ended up pinning him to a tree and he never asked to fight me again. And since then, he has never left my side."

Her eyes returned to Kagome. "I still don't know why I dropped my guard in front of him. It was the first time I had ever done it and I promised myself that I would never act so foolishly again. I have kept my promise to myself ever since."

Kikyo's story made Kagome's heart ache. It must have been hard for Kikyo to go through something as horrible as that but it did let Kagome see that InuYasha did have his good points, although Kagome wasn't impressed. It was unexpected though that he even stayed with Kikyo even though she never asked him to. She smiled to herself. InuYasha must really like Kikyo to stick around her for this long.

There was nothing Kagome could say to that, so instead she somewhat changed the subject. She turned to Kikyo a little more seriously. "Do you enjoy InuYasha's company?"

Kikyo seemed a little surprised at Kagome's question, but she answered it nevertheless after a moment of thought. "I do enjoy his company even though he is very overconfident and does not think things through thoroughly."

Kagome laughed while Kikyo turned away, slightly grinning before getting up. "Is there anything else you need Kagome?"

Said girl tilted her head, "No?"

Kikyo nodded. "I will be leaving for a few hours and if there is anything you need, there is someone next door, my sister Kaede, who will help you." With that, Kikyo bowed and left Kagome.

The relationship between Kikyo and InuYasha was a very new one to Kagome. Since they have only been together for a short amount of time, they probably are still getting used to each other and learning from one another. They were total opposites but they still enjoyed their own company and the time they spent together. In Kagome's eyes and in probably some of the other villagers' eyes, they were a couple even though neither of them would probably admit it.

_Kikyo is very lucky to have someone by her side,_ thought Kagome. Smiling to herself, Kagome laid down silently, letting her thoughts turn blank.

When her mind decided to work again, Kagome slowly got up, the need to breath in some fresh air took over and Kagome made her way outside gingerly, holding the blanket tightly to her form. The sun was bright in the beautiful blue sky, shinning warmly down on her. Her body seemed to slump with relaxation, the reason probably because of how warm she felt.

"Hello!"

The little greeting almost made Kagome lose her blanket when she jumped. Turning to see where the owner of the voice was, Kagome's eyes met with a young girls that seemed to shine with amusement.

"Are you Miss Kagome?" asked the girl, tilting her head up while placing the side of her hand horizontally across her forehead to shade her eyes from the suns rays to stare at Kagome.

"Yes…who are you?" asked Kagome curiously.

The girl smiled. "I'm Kaede! I am going to take care of you today Miss Kagome!" She held her free hand out to Kagome and after securing the blanket around her with one hand, Kagome extended her arm and shook the little girls hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Kaede nodded her head enthusiastically. "Where would you like to go today Miss Kagome?" Releasing the girls hand Kagome smiled and said, "Please, just call me Kagome, okay?"

The girl nodded again and waited for Kagome to answer her question.

Kagome put her finger to her lips. "Hmm…I think I would like to go somewhere peaceful today," answered Kagome.

The girl perked up instantly. "I know exactly where to go!" she said cheerfully and moved to grab Kagome's hand but stopped. She looked Kagome up and down and shook her head. "Before we go, you need to put on some clothes." Taking hold of Kagome's hand, she dragged her into the hut that was next to the one where Kagome had been staying.

Kagome watched the girl rummage through a few piles of clothes before Kaede became satisfied with her findings.

"Here we are!" she said, turning around quickly to stick the bundle in Kagome's face. "Lets put these on and then we can go to the nice peaceful spot!"

Kagome looked at the bundle strangely. "What is that exactly?"

Kaede placed the bundle on the ground and picked up a piece of the set. "These are my sisters miko robes. She said you could have them when you needed them and now is the time. So, take that blanket off and I'll help you put this on. Oh, and don't tell me you can do it yourself because I know your wound is on your shoulder."

Kagome was slightly taken aback by how aggressive Kaede was and she wondered just how much she was informed about the situation. She couldn't remember every being that aggressive at Kaede's age. Not wasting any time, Kagome dropped the blanket and Kaede hurried to help put on the robes.

"What is a miko Kaede?" asked Kagome as Kaede finished tying the pants.

"Well, my sister heals people and protects our village from demons and prays a lot and she is a miko. I think all mikos do that kind of thing." When she was done with the tie, Kaede rubbed her hands together. "I'm going to become a miko just like my sister when I get older!" said the girl happily.

Kagome nodded at her with a smile before looking down at herself. The clothes were the exact same as the ones Kikyo wore, red pants and white top. They were very loose and easy to move in and they were also surprisingly very comfy.

Kagome felt Kaedes' smaller hand slip gently in hers and squeeze. "Now we are ready."

* * *

Kaede made sure to take her time when taking Kagome to wherever they were going. She probably did not want to rush Kagome in fear of the older girl tripping and hurting herself again. 

To tell the truth, Kagome was expecting to end up by some stream since that was where Kagome would always go (or to her spot in the flower filled forest) when she wanted some peace and quiet. But she wasn't expecting Kaede to take her to some place as beautiful as this.

When they reached the top of the hill they were climbing, Kagome's breath caught in her throat. Kaede couldn't have taken her to a better spot than this one.

The open field that stretched on for what seemed like forever was full of daisies. Even from her spot Kagome could see a few butterflies fluttering around.

"Do you like it?" asked Kaede earnestly, hands folded behind her back. "I love coming her and playing! It's my favorite spot so I though you would like it too!"

"Its beautiful Kaede…" was all Kagome could say.

Kaede giggles. "Come on!"

Letting Kaede hold her hand again, Kagome followed the little girl down the hill and into the sea of daisies until Kaede released her. A gust of wind blew passed, whipping Kagome's hair around. Out of the corner of her eye, Kagome saw Kaede running away from her and she instinctively call out the girls' name.

In response Kaede turned to Kagome slightly, still running, and said, "I'm going to pick some flowers and make a crown for you!"

It surprised Kagome to hear someone that she barely knew do something for her. It warmed her to know what Kaede was going to do and she wondered if that was the reason she had picked this spot. It was rare that anyone would do this for someone like her and it brought back memories of when Kagome and Sango were younger, when they would do the same things.

Kagome smirked. "Okay!"

She watched the carefree girl run off before she gradually sat down, using her better hand to ease her way to the ground. Her thoughts returned to her old friend. _I wonder how Sango is doing._

If felt like forever since Kagome had seen Sango. The last time she had talked to Sango was right before she and Miroku had left the village. Come to think of it, Kagome didn't even know where Sango lived exactly and she frowned.

Memories of when they were younger surfaced again and Kagome looked down at the ground sadly. When they were younger they were just like Kaede, running around without worry…being free.

Kagome began to pick some of the daisies absently and sighed. "That's all in the past."

Looking back up, Kagome quickly spotted the girl happily picking flowers herself and admired her. As if feeling Kagome's gaze, Kaede looked up and they locked eyes. The girl smiled and Kagome waved as the girl turned to run and collect more flowers.

The days where Kagome could be innocent were gone and might never return but for now, she would enjoy seeing others who experienced it. It always seemed to make her feel better.

Once the little girl was almost unable to be seen, Kagome felt a strong presence behind her and she stood up. Although it was strong, Kagome was not sure who it was so she did shiver a bit. In any case, it wasn't a human.

Moving her wildly blowing hair out of her way, Kagome turned around and came face to face with Youko. She was stunned to say the least when their eyes connected.

He looked at her expressionless as minutes passed and another gust of wind came, blowing both their hair around. Kagome blushed lightly. It still seemed strange to see him standing in front of her but since his visits were more frequent, she was getting used to him.

Without notice, Youko turned to leave.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat before going into overdrive. Should she do something? Wasn't he going to say anything to her? Desperate, Kagome practically screamed a "Thank you!" at him.

Amazingly he stopped. One ear swiveled in her direction.

She found her hands very interesting at this point it really was obvious that he didn't even need to look at her for her to feel nervous. "Ummm…" she stuttered. "Thank you for telling Kikyo to take care of me!" Her words were rushed and sloppy but she didn't care.

As expected he didn't say anything.

Kagome raised her head slightly and caught sight of his shiny silver hair and couldn't take her eyes off it.

Silver hair…

He moved to walk away again.

"Wait!"

He stopped.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome stopped fidgeting. "Were you the one I saw while at the rice fields?"

The anticipation Kagome felt while Youko took his time answering her was immense.

"No."

Her heart instantly sank. _No? Then why…_ "Then why were you on the trail?"

It was a wonder why he wasn't becoming angry or threatening to kill her yet.

His voice was cold and uncaring when he answered. "A woman at the bottom of the hill was hiding something."

She squinted her eyes. "Woman?" she asked herself softly before she realized just whom he was talking about. Her eyes widened. "The old woman? Were you going to attack her? Did you attack her?"

Her question went on deaf ears. Youko had disappeared before she could finish her last question.

Kagome's first reaction consisted of her growling in annoyance on how he could possibly leave so easily without answering her question. It did soon turn into worry for the old woman's life.

"I hope she is alright…"

The tug she felt on her pants made Kagome jump. She snapped her head down and saw Kaede standing next to her, flower crown in hand. She hadn't even heard Kaede walk up to her. She really did need to start paying attention to more than just Youko.

"Are you alright Kagome?"

Relaxing, Kagome turned into the direction where Youko had been standing. "Yeah."

She returned her gaze to the bright girl who held out a beautiful daisy crown. "Here!"

Kneeling down in front of the girl, Kagome let Kaede place the crown on her head and heard her clap. "You look so pretty! How does mine look?" Kaede posed and now it was Kagome's time to clap, "You look like a princess Kaede!"

The little girls eyes widened, "Really?"

Kagome nodded her head and Kaede squealed before grabbing her hand, "I bet Kikyo will be home by the time we return! Come on, let's go show her our crowns!"

Heading down the hill and back to the village was much easier on Kagome then it had been on the way up. She remembered where she was going and what things to avoid as Kaede lead her back to the village, which was a big plus. She wouldn't have been looking forward to doing a face plant while going down. When they did arrive, the only clue that Kikyo had come back was that her horse stood next to her hut, from what Kaede told her.

Instead of bringing Kagome to Kikyo's hut, Kaede dropped her off at her own and helped her lay down before running off. That girl really was just full of energy.

Kagome didn't have to wait long until there was a knock on her door. "Come in!"

Expectedly, Kikyo walked through the opening and kneeled beside her. "How was your day Kagome?" she asked.

Kagome grinned. " It was very fun, I had a great time with your sister. She even made me a crown." She nodded towards the beautiful hairpiece.

Kikyo nodded her head. "I see."

The smile from the older girls face slowly dropped as they sat in silence and Kagome wondered what was on her mind.

"Be careful."

Kikyo's request caught Kagome off guard. "…What?"

Their eyes met. "Kaede told me she saw you talking to a silver haired man that looked like InuYasha when you were out in the field. Please Kagome, you must be careful." She looked down. "Demons do not have the same feelings that humans or half demons have and they kill without thinking twice about it." She paused and met Kagome's eyes once again. "I do not know of the relationship between you and that demon but you must be careful and stay out of harms way."

Kagome's mind went blank and she could not find a way to answer.

With that, Kikyo stood up abruptly but stopped at the door. "You should get your rest." She did not look at Kagome this time and left, leaving the younger girl to ponder her words.


	9. Chapter 9

**First Love**

**Chapter Nine**

Falling asleep had been a very hard task for Kagome. Not only was she still angry with Youko, but also the words Kikyo had spoken were glued to her mind.

Was she really right? Did that mean Youko was incapable of feeling love? But…he looked so human, nothing like the demons Kagome had seen. And…he had saved her, even came to see her…. He should feel something for her or else he would not have bothered to see her. She would probably be dead if it wasn't for him.

Kagome thought of the time when Youko had saved her and the time on the trail. Looking back on it, she remembered that even though Youko looked human, he sure as hell wasn't weak like one.

She sighed sadly. It seemed like Youko could destroy anything he wanted to but why hadn't he killed her yet?

_He **must** like me in some weird, twisted way!_ She scowled.

It was only after much frustration did Kagome fall asleep. The next morning…was a little better. It always felt good waking up late in the day.

But waking up next to InuYasha sitting next to her wasn't exactly Kagome's cup of tea. Especially since under her blanket she only wore the bandages across her chest and a pair of underwear.

So, after shrieking as loud as she could and hitting him in the head with a pot that had been in the middle of her hut, which she used to make her meals with, she wrapped the blanked around her tightly and moved as far away from the half demon as she could, hissing in pain along the way.

"You **bitch**!" growled InuYasha, "What the hell was that for?!"

Kagome narrowed her eyes, "Well what the hell do you think your doing?! Why are you sleeping in here?"

He quickly stood up, rubbing his head. "Why do you think I'm in here?! It's sure as fuck not because I like you! Ahhh damn it, why the pot?!"

Kagome looked away, smirking with triumph inside.

Just then Kikyo walked through the door, grasping InuYashas' interest.

He turned to her, "That bitch hit me!" yelled InuYasha, pointing at Kagome.

"Stop acting like a child InuYasha," said Kikyo sternly before kneeling down, "Sit down."

He grumbled, crossing his arms as he sat down next to Kikyo, who turned her eyes on the younger girl.

"InuYasha has told your parents that you are here and why."

Kagome's eyes widened, "What happened? I didn't want them to know what happened!"

InuYasha grunted, "It's their right to know since they worried about you, you dumb bitch."

"InuYasha." Kikyo warned.

"_What?_"

She glared at him and crossed his arms with a "humph".

"Oh…your mother told me that some Hobo guy was looking for you."

Kagome looked at him quizzically. "Hobo…? You mean Hojo?" She sighed and mentally rolled her eyes. Couldn't Hojo go a few days without seeing her?

"Hojo?" asked Kikyo.

"Ehh- he's a friend!"

She didn't press the subject and nodded. "Today, we will be spent together."

Kagome's eyebrows rose. "Really?"

Kikyo nodded and stood up. Bending down, she placed her hand under Kagome's good arm and helped her up. "InuYasha," started Kikyo, "You may leave now to watch the village."

Not bothering to respond to her, InuYasha stood up and left.

Bending down once again Kikyo picked up the same clothing she had worn the previous day. "I washed these while you were sleeping. I'll help you put these on and then we'll go for a walk."

Kagome nodded her head and dropped the blanket to let Kikyo help her dress. It took some time but by the end Kagome's shoulder wasn't hurting as much as it had hurt the previous days.

After folding Kagome's blanket neatly, the women left the hut and walked out of the village silently. Kikyo did not utter one word as they walked down the dirt road.

It made Kagome a little anxious; she had not been expecting to spend the whole day with Kikyo. Usually she would be very busy with whatever she did. She felt a little bad since she had slept most of the day away. It was in the middle of the afternoon after all…

Kagome stared at the back of Kikyo's head as they walked. She couldn't believe that she had actually met the older girl at some rice field. She never would have guessed this girl was a miko and would be taking care of her right now. Kikyo really was a wonderful person with a warm family and Kagome was very grateful, there was probably no one better suited to care for her than Kikyo.

When the dirt road over looked a large river Kikyo stopped and turned to look at it, Kagome following suit.

"Please forgive InuYasha. His temper is very bad when it is close to his time of the month."

Kagome raised her eyebrow, mouth hanging open a little. "Time of the month?" Was he actually—?

Kikyo looked at Kagome, eyes widened for a split moment. She laughed waving her hands, "Oh, not like us! I meant the new moon." She paused, her face turning serious and she shifted to face the water again. "Because InuYasha is a half demon, once a month on the new moon he turns into a full human. He despises being a human so he usually takes it out on everyone. I don't blame him though…" she trailed off for a moment.

"Ever since he was young he was not accepted by humans or demons, leaving him by himself most of the time. Children his age and even adults made fun of him for being half demon and half human. Although he is much older, he still bares emotional scars and he is always reminded of those times when he is a human." She sighed. "He always picks fights just so he can try and become stronger. I worry for him when I am away since I cannot keep an eye on him if I had stayed with him."

Kagome looked down and agreed. "I understand. I'm sorry I threw the pot at him…"

Kikyo smiled. "Well its alright, you probably took his mind off of other things. Thank you."

Kagome redden, "Ahh, okay…your welcome."

The older girl ran a hand through her hair and shook her head, smiling before she walked onto the grass below them to sit down, Kagome following close behind again.

"I've been wanted to ask you something for some time now, Kagome." She turned towards the said girl. "How do you know that demon?"

Kagome blushed and turned away. "Ummm…" she put her hand up to her burning cheek to try and cool it down. "Well…it started a few weeks ago when I was going somewhere…a demon came out of nowhere and was about to attack me." She turned back to the river and smiled as she remembered what happened next. "But it never got to me. He was literally rooted to the spot, blooming with flowers…and then he appeared." Her expression brightened but Kikyo didn't say anything.

Somewhat changing the subject Kagome turned to Kikyo. "InuYasha's parents were human and full demon right?"

The older girl nodded her head.

Kagome moved back to the river. "You told me once that demons couldn't experience love…but wouldn't that mean that InuYasha's parents did love each other? Especially since they had a child together?" From the corner of her eye she saw Kikyo was intently listening. "I think demons can love in one way or have some sort of attachment because if they didn't…InuYasha wouldn't be alive and I might now have ever met you if it hadn't been for Youko."

Kikyo's face looked to be somewhat amazed. They faced each other and slightly grinned.

"Do you like the demon, Youko?"

Her only response was a blush from Kagome.

Feeling satisfied, Kikyo sighed. "The only thing I want you to do then Kagome, is that I want you to be careful and this will be the last time I say it. I've seen things like this before, too many times, and I don't want it to happen to you." She placed her hand over Kagome's and squeezed, giving her a sincere smile, which Kagome returned.

Before anything else could be said, Kaede came running up to them out of breath.

Kikyo regarded her with surprise. "What is it Kaede?"

They waited for Kaede to catch her breath. "There are some visitors looking for you sister Kikyo…"

"I wasn't expecting anyone…" said Kikyo softly. Taking a breath she stood up, helping Kagome up also and the three girls made there way back to the village in a rushed walk.

Upon reaching the village they saw a group of saddled men on horses waiting. It wasn't hard to figure out that those were the visitors.

Both Kagome and Kaede approached them cautiously while Kikyo walked up to them very confidently.

The oldest man in the group turned to her approaching form. "Are you Lady Kikyo?"

"Yes," she said with poise, "May I ask who you are?"

His eyes went back to scan his men before they returned to Kikyo. "I am Hirohiko, Lord of the North. My men and I seek a place to stay for the night. Is it possible to stay here?"

While Kikyo and Lord Hirohiko had been exchanging words, Kagome was observing the men in the group. There was only a handful, it looked to be three soldiers since they were covered from head to toe in armor and had swords strapped to their sides.

The remaining two, which included the Lord and a young man beside him, had no armor.

The Lord had a full head of white hair with a white beard and dark brown eyes. He wore beautiful clothing that Kagome had never seen before. It must have been some expensive clothing since there was a lot of detail and hard work put into his piece.

He wore a black top that was embroidered with a white dragon and had on matching white pants. His outfit looked almost the same style as what Kagome wore but it was much tighter.

The man beside him looked like a much younger version of the Lord and Kagome knew they had to be related.

The younger man had short brown hair that stood upright. He too also had brown eyes that went well with his nice tan. He wore a white shirt with a brown best over it and black pants. Kagome couldn't help but think he was rather handsome.

Without notice the young Lord turned and faced her, locking eyes for a moment before Kagome looked away blushing like a fool. She did not dare raise her head as the group headed in the direction of where they were supposed to rest and she held her breath until she was safe inside her hut.

After moments of relaxation, Kikyo entered her hut with more bandages and once again Kikyo began to change them.

"Who were those people?" asked Kagome. The need to know was very strong. Or more importantly, the need to know whom that young man was.

"That was Lord Hirohiko of the North with his son and a few guards. They were looking to spend the night here since they traveled to visit another Lord." She smiled even though Kagome couldn't see it. "The lords son asked about you."

Kagome immediately tensed, the blood rushing back to her face.

"It seems like you have a lot of admirers."

Kagome covered her face with her hands.

Securing the bandages, Kikyo wrapped Kagome in the blanket and sat in front of her. "You will be able to go home soon but not for another two or three days," she smiled. "Your wounds are healing nicely."

Kagome nodded her head with a grin. "Thank you!"

Kikyo's eyes drifted to the doorway. "Well, it's getting late and you should get some rest." She stood up. "Relax for a while and then go to sleep. I'll se you tomorrow Kagome. Good night." With that, Kikyo made her way out the door and to her hut to rest.

That left Kagome to think about the Lords son.

He really was handsome now that she looked back on it. He had flawless skin, a great body…it was amazing.

She laughed to herself and sighed, shaking her head. "He makes me blush…but why would he ask about me? He's a Lord and I'm a peasant." Shifting her weight, Kagome pushed herself up and left her hut to go back to the river where the rose had bloomed beside her to relax.

When her spot was in sight the first thing she noticed was the beautiful rose that was still in full bloom.

The second thing she noticed was the Lords son leaning on a nearby tree.

His arms were folded across his chest and he was looking up into the night sky. All she could do was stare at him.

"It's a nice night isn't it?" she jumped at his voice.

He turned his eyes on her and grinned. "Come, let us have a seat." Pushing himself off the tree he walked to sit a few feet in front of the flower and patted the spot next to him.

Swallowing, Kagome forced herself forward and sat down, instantly feeling awkward sitting next to him. The Lord's son seemed to think nothing of it.

He turned to face her. "May I ask your name?"

Kagome blinked a few times. "My name?"

He nodded his head, "Yes, your name."

She laughed with embarrassment. "My name is Kagome."

He smirked and Kagome melted. "What a beautiful name. I am Akihiro, but you can call me Aki. It is very nice to meet you." He took her shaking hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it.

Kagome's heart began to race. "Umm it-it's very nice to meet you too…Aki."

He laughed, gorgeous brown eyes lighting up. "Lady Kikyo only told me you weren't from this village when I asked who you were. Why are you here? Are you also traveling?"

Kagome looked away. He really seemed interested in her and it surprised her to no end. Why would such a good-looking guy be interested in _her_? In any case, she answered him as best as she could, feeling a little more comfortable at the moment. "Well…I was injured and Kikyo took me in and is caring for me…"

His eyebrows rose. "Are you hurting right now? I should have helped you sit, I apologize."

Kagome shook her hands, "No, it's okay, I'm fine." She turned her gaze back to the water, releasing herself from his soft gaze as they sat in silence. She would have kept on staring at the water but Aki spoke again.

"Do you like the water Kagome?" he asked, "You seem to stare at it a lot." His voice was light with amusement.

"I go to the river to think or to get away from everything. I've loved it since I was little. It's almost like a natural reaction to go to a river, I always feel comforted when I'm near one."

He didn't say anything for a few minutes but he eventually asked her another question. One she hoped he wouldn't ask.

"Where is your village Kagome?"

It caught her off guard but she made sure she took a moment or two to answer. "I live in a village far away from here."

Surprisingly he didn't press her for any more answers. Instead he stood up and without notice he turned and started to walk. "It's a little strange that a lone rose would bloom here but…" he unsheathed his sword and cut the rose, never once getting pricked when he picked it up. Holding it in his hands he walked back over to her. "I couldn't resist. A beautiful rose for a beautiful woman." He held it out to her and she slowly took it and couldn't keep her eyes off of it.

This rose was from Youko when she had been here by herself and now Aki was giving it to her because he said she was beautiful. It made her heart skip a beat. "Thank you…"

He scratched his head, "It was no trouble at all."

Trying to get to her feet, Kagome carelessly put too much of her weight on her bad arm and shoulder, causing her to wince loudly and stumble forward.

Amazingly Aki caught her. His body was as warm as the smile he gave her as he held her. His warmth surrounded her and she could have melted into a puddle on the ground.

Carefully making sure she was on her feet, Akihiro wrapped his arm around her waist and she instinctively squeaked, causing him to laugh. "I think I shall assist you back to your quarters."

Kagome shook her head vigorously. "No-its alright!"

It was his turn to shake his head. "I insist!" he said and began walking, bringing her with him.

Turning wide eyes to stare up at him, Kagome caught sight of another red rose bloom out of the corner of her eye and her heart dropped.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed that chapter, I enjoyed writing it a lot! I think this is probably the fastest time I have updated since my last post :) I'm glad to have this chapter out since it really starts to get things in motion for the rest of the story. So tell me what you thought! 

Until next time!

Dark Paine


	10. Chapter 10

**First Love**

**Chapter Ten**

The walk back to her hut seemed to take forever to Kagome. It didn't help that Akihiro never once took his arm off her waist and she couldn't wait to go inside her hut once it came into view. She almost ran to it but she stopped herself to say goodnight to Aki.

"Thank you, Aki." She said almost forcefully.

He said nothing; instead he kissed her hand and bowed. "Sleep well, Kagome," he said, catching the small gasp from her and walked away.

She clutched her hand to her bosom until he was almost out of sight and disappeared inside her hut. Aki had a good way of mixing everything up for Kagome and making her feel one way one minute but then changes her mood with one motion. He could do this but it wasn't strong enough to make her forget about Youko.

She sat down in front of the burning fired that was located in the middle of her hut and found herself not able to take her eyes off of it. Her thoughts turned to Aki.

It still made Kagome wonder why someone like Aki would like her. The same went for Youko. Her feelings for Aki were mixed but there was one thing for sure. She didn't feel the same around Aki as she did around Youko.

Just hearing or speaking the demons name made her heart flutter. Even now she blushed at her thoughts of wondering what he was doing now and if he was watching her. Hopefully he was doing something other than causing flowers to sprout out of nowhere next to her.

Focusing on the flower in her hand she let her mind wander. Why exactly had he caused the flower to bloom beside her was beyond Kagome but she held strong to the thought of Youko "liking" her also. She smiled to herself. For now she wanted to see how things would play out while she was here because it wasn't like Aki would ever see her again after tomorrow.

Laying down Kagome, for the first time in the days she had been there, fell into a dreamless sleep and caused her to wake up rather early the next day. The sun had just started to rise when Kagome's eyes fell on the doorway. Rubbing her eyes, Kagome yawned lazily before sitting up and blinking the remaining sleepiness out of her system. She slowly looked around and sighed.

It had been a while since she had seen Youko and Akihiro was leaving today. It wasn't hard to figure out that her longing to see Youko again greatly overwhelmed the though of Akihiro leaving.

Standing up, Kagome trotted over to her clothes, picked them up and dressed herself for the first time in a while. It felt great to be able to do things by herself again and not need any help from someone else.

After fixing the wrinkles in her outfit, Kagome bent down and placed the red rose she had been given in the fold of her top.

This rose was given to her both by Youko and Akihiro, although Aki had given it to her himself while Youko had made it sprout right beside her. But it meant a lot to her to be given this gift. The fact that Youko had given it to her fist made Kagome smile to herself.

She would try to see if Youko still lingered here today, but she would go to the place where they had met face to face last. He had to have been watching her, how else would he have known where to sprout the red rose?

Memories from the night before came rushing back to her.

Had Youko seen Akihiro with her…?

Her heart sank.

She didn't want to be seen with anyone other than Youko nor did she want to be around anyone but Youko at the moment. She hoped the relationship between she and Youko would not change if he had seen them together. She wouldn't know what to do if that were to happen. Pushing all thoughts out of her mind, Kagome exited her hut.

She would not go to the river but opted to go to the field full of daisies where Kaede had taken her.

The village was quiet as she passed by huts but the horses were still tied to a tree, which only meant one thing.

Akihiro was still here.

She selfishly did not want to see him off or have him spot her so she quickened her pace. Maybe by the time she returned from the field of daisies he would be gone.

She could only hope.

For a moment she regretted feeling this way towards Akihiro. He had been nothing but nice to her and yet she still did not want to have anything to do with him at this moment. It seemed as though when she was determined to see Youko, she didn't want to be bothered with anyone else. When she was alone, she felt happy with Aki but she would still think of Youko.

Her feelings for Aki weren't as strong as the ones she felt for Youko but Aki was a kind person and actually showered her he actually liked her and she liked that about him. She only wished that Youko would just do something, _anything_ to let her know he liked her.

Coming upon the familiar hill before the field, Kagome almost ran to the top, but going back down on the other side, she made sure to take her time.

She tried to seem graceful as she walked into the field, just in case Youko was watching, but she failed and tripped over herself, which made her laugh.

Finding a nice spot, Kagome sat down and let out a sigh she had been holding. She was actually nervous to see Youko. He almost always made her feel nervous and it excited her in a way.

She wondered if he would come and came to the conclusion that if he did, he felt something for her.

Letting herself relax, she closed her eyes and sat in silence for a few moments. When she opened them, a strange fog had settled over her, and Kagome looked around and found nothing but fog. She quickly stood up and looked down only to barely see her feet.

Fear started to crawl its way up her back and made itself known by the little bumps on her arms.

A strange gust of wind flew past her and her eyes widened. That was no ordinary gust; someone or some_thing_ was with her.

"Youko?" she whispered and almost immediately the object went right past her, but this time closer.

"Youko!" was the only name in her mind and she screamed it as loud as she could. Her breathing became heavy and her whole body was shaking when she heard the sound of a large cat growling.

Looking up, she saw the said animal coming at her from above. It was much larger than a normal cat. It was **huge. **Its' large eyes were full of blood lust and its claws and teeth were ready to rip her in half.

This was it, she thought to herself. _I'm going to die._

As she waited for her death, a vine full of thorn shot out from somewhere in the fog and pierced the large cat though the chest and Kagome is frozen to the spot. The scene in front of her did not really registering although her eyes were glued to the now dead animal hanging limply in the air almost right above her.

It didn't move and Kagome let her eyes travel to the vine full of thorns and followed the vine as it becomes more revealed as the strange mist rapidly faded away.

"Youko."

Automatically she turned around and bumped into a hard body and fell down. Instinctively she crawled back but her eyes fell on a pair of white pants and she stopped because she knew exactly whom this is.

Her eyes slowly make their way up past the sash and shirt to land on Youko's face.

His name left her lips and he regarded her coldly.

He didn't move an inch as she got up and approached him.

He had saved her again, rescued her from yet another demon that had tried to kill her. He had saved her from death.

The thought of him declaring his love for her right then and there made her smile as a tear rolled down her face. She didn't know why she was crying; she didn't feel anything at the moment but happiness. Was it a natural reaction?

She didn't care.

She tried to take another step and the thoughts of his declaration vanished as he outstretched his hand, pointing sharp claws at her neck, silently threatening to kill her if she took another step.

Kagome's eyes widened and the tears began to flow down her face. "Youko…"

Why did he act like this towards her? She didn't want him to feel the need to do this. She ever so slowly brought her hand up, feeling the need to take his hand in hers but he quickly snapped his hand away from her and turned-

-to catch Akihiro in mid air around the neck.

Kagome's heart jerked. She had not even noticed Akihiro. Why hadn't she seen him sooner?

Hearing his sword drop, Kagome's mind went into overload and reality hit her. Akihiro was suspended in air because of Youko and Youko was _killing _him.

"Don't kill him!" she screamed and heard him choke. Her hear began racing and her breathing became jagged.

"You pitiful human." She heard Youko say as he flexed his hand around Akihiro's neck. She could actually _hear _the action. "You actually thought you could kill me?"

Another gasp left Aki and Youko laughed evilly as he watched Aki struggle in his hand. His golden eyes blazed with anger at the pitiful human and he tightened his grip slightly.

His face was cold while his prey was covered in sweat, face turning a light shade of purple. Youko wondered if he should keep at this or just snap his neck.

All thoughts ceased in one moment and he looked down to see small arms wrapped around his waist. He felt the woman, Kagome's, face in his back and felt his shirt dampen from her tears.

"Please…don't kill him," he heard her whisper between sobs.

Slow, silent heart wrenching moments passed for Kagome until Youko unceremoniously threw Akihiro away from both of them as if he were a mere twig.

Both Youko and Kagome stood motionless, her arms still wrapped around his waist, a part of her wanting to stay like this but only under other circumstances, another wanting to see Aki.

The wind picked up around them, whipping daisies around them almost beautifully and before Kagome knew it, Youko disappeared and without his body supporting her, Kagome fell to her knees and let herself cry.

The thought of Youko killing a person brought tears to her eyes.

Remembering Akihiro, Kagome forced herself to stand and find her way to him and knelt next to him, face stained with tears. "Are you alright?" she asked, trying to stop crying.

They stare at each other, Kagome concentration on his hand that was nursing his neck and he unexpectedly laughed. "Yes, Lady Kagome. I'm alright."

Kagome met his eyes full of disbelief. Did he really just laugh? Wouldn't that traumatize someone?

"Do you know that fellow?"

She looked away and he took that as a "yes".

Not being able to look at him, Kagome concentrated on the ground beneath her. "I'm sorry."

She felt Aki place his hand on her shoulder while his other hand softly brought her face to look at him. "It isn't your fault. There is nothing for you to be sorry about, Lady Kagome." He gave her a reassuring smile before standing up, helping Kagome to her feel also.

Acting as if nothing happened, Aki turned and bean to walk back to the village and Kagome followed him. "How did you know I was here?" she asked intriguingly but she knew what he would say.

"I saw you leave the village and decided to follow you."

She shook her head as she walked behind him. "Why would you do that?"

He stopped and turned around to look at her, eyebrows raised. "I was curious." He smiled and turned to continue walking.

A blush found its way to her face and she jogged to catch up with him where they remained walking in silence.

A small feeling of relief came over Kagome when they reached the village to find everyone ready and saddled. It seemed that Kagome wouldn't have to wait any longer for Aki to leave.

They stopped and Akihiro turned to her and took her hand in his and brought it to his lips and kissed it. "I hope to be in your presence again soon," he said, eyes locked with hers.

Being polite, Kagome nodded her head although she silently reminded herself that it would never happen.

Her gave her a bright smile before he turned, mounted his horse, and rode off with his father and their guards. He didn't look back at her and when they were would of sight, Kagome's eyes turned to Kikyo and InuYasha who were by her side and the only ones left.

They stood in comfortable silence until Kikyo left. At that point, Kagome heard InuYasha clear his throat and she turned to look at him.

With one eyebrow raised, he asked, "So…what were you two doing alone?"

Kagome glared at him, wishing she had the pot in her hand to hit him with but instead; she stomped off to her hut, shaking her head.

She ended up spending a nice amount of time alone in her hut and felt more comfortable now than when Aki was still there.

Aki…

She wondered if he was really all right. Youko was really strong after all but she was surprised that Youko had actually listened to her since he _never _did.

She still couldn't believe she had actually hugged him.

Blushing furiously she remembered how warm he was and the feeling of her hands around his well-defined body. Her face seemed to be on fire with embarrassment and even though no one was in the room with her, she hid under the covers just in case anyone did enter her room.

* * *

The next day started rather late but when Kagome rose, she felt both excited and sad. She would travel home today which meant she would leave the village. Looking back on her stay, it was a nice experience (leaving out the killing and fighting). She silently hoped she would be able to come back.

There was no need to get dressed since she had slept in her clothes and Kagome didn't exactly feel like getting dressed anyway. Before she took one step she remembered the rose and carefully pulled it from her shirt.

It was mysteriously perfect. Nothing was broken, out of place and it didn't look like it would wilt anytime soon.

She smiled to herself before tucking the flower safely back in her shirt.

Leaving her hut for the last time, Kagome found both Kikyo and InuYasha waiting for her. Kikyo smiled at Kagome whiled InuYasha ignored her.

"Are you ready Kagome?" asked Kikyo when the younger girl reached her.

In response, Kagome nodded and the small group moved to leave but was stopped when they heard Kagome's name called out.

Turning, Kagome saw Kaede running up to her, holding something in her small hand.

"Will you visit?" asked the girl, putting the flower bracelet on Kagome.

"Yes." Kagome smiled and knelt to give the girl a big hug. "Yes, I will come and visit you soon! Thank you Kaede for taking care of me." They released each other after a small squeeze and they said goodbye.

Kagome felt a sense of loss as they left the village that day. She had been waiting for this moment from day one when she was here and now she was finding it hard to leave.

Kagome knew if she could do it over she would but she would try to meet other people in the village.

The first day of traveling bored Kagome to death. It was just walking and walking for hours until dark when they found a safe spot in the woods to camp.

InuYasha left to scout the area, leaving Kagome and Kikyo to collect firewood and to lightly chat about Akihiro.

"Do you miss him Kagome?" asked Kikyo, bending down to retrieve a decent sized log.

Supporting her back with one hand Kagome thought about Kikyo's question. "I do miss him to an extent. I don't know him that well so it's kind of hard to explain," answered Kagome.

Kikyo faced the other girl. "Do you like him at all?"

Kagome paused in mid step to turn to the older girl. "Although he is a good person, I don't have any romantic feelings for him."

Kikyo moved her way over to stand next to Kagome. "You know, Akihiro is next in line for the throne. He would give you comfortable life if you ever decided to marry him."

Kagome looked at Kikyo suspiciously. "Did he tell you to tell me that?"

Kikyo laughed lightly and Kagome joined in, shaking her head and mentally rolling her eyes.

Making there way back to camp, they placed the firewood in the middle of their camp and after trying many times, they were able to light it with two rocks. After they settled down and fell asleep.

The next morning flew by after they ate whatever InuYasha had caught (which tasted really good) and they headed out again.

Like the day before, they walked for hours but when InuYasha told them there was only one more hour of walking, Kagome felt so elated that nothing seemed to hurt anymore.

When her village came into sight, Kagome broke out into a run and didn't stop until she ran right into her house. Her mother and brother looked at her with wide eyes before they ran to hug her.

Automatically her mother started to cry. "Kagome! I was so worried! We missed you so much!"

Kagome let herself cry in her mothers' arms. The feeling of finally being reunited with her family was incredible. "I missed you too mom!" She looked down at Souta hugging her leg. "I missed you Souta!" she ruffled his hair when he looked up at her.

Turning, Kagome saw InuYasha and Kikyo at the door and her mother followed her gaze and smiled. "Oh, it's you InuYasha," she turned to Kikyo. "Thank you so much for taking care of my daughter." She bowed and looked at both of them. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Kikyo was the first to respond. "Thank you for you kind offer but InuYasha and I have some important business to attend to back at our village."

Kagome's mother bowed. "Thank you for returning my child to me."

Kikyo smiled before her eyes met Kagome's. "Goodbye Kagome. Let us cross paths again but under different circumstances."

And with that, InuYasha and Kikyo left.

"You know Kagome?" started Souta. "InuYasha is really cool."

Kagome rolled her eyes and sighed. He didn't know how wrong he was but she would let him think that.

She looked at her mother and brother with happiness. She really was glad to be home. There was no other place like this and she didn't want to leave here again. This was her home.

When all of their tears dried up, Kagome's mother turned to her, wiping the remaining trail of wetness off her face she said, "Kagome. Could you go to the healers to get some medicine? I asked them to make some for your wound and they said it would be done by today."

"Okay." Her mother could have asked her to do anything and she would do it. Her mother meant everything to her and she hoped that she didn't cause her mother a lot of stress because that wouldn't be good for her health.

She left her hut in the blink of an eye and jogged to the other side of her village to get the medicine. On her way she stopped, eyes narrowing.

_I hope Hojo is not there._

The last thing she wanted to do was talk to Hojo. He knew she was gone but she didn't feel like talking about it anymore. She started to jog again and paused at the door.

_Please don't let Hojo be here._

The flap of the door was pushed aside by a hand not belonging to Kagome, revealing Hojo's face.

_Oh no._

He stared at her and blinked a few times before shouting happily, "Kagome!"

As Kagome expected, he hugged her tightly and she winced in slight pain. Hearing it, Hojo stepped away from her. "I'm sorry Kagome! I got carried away for a minute there and forgot about your wound. You're here to pick it up aren't you? Stay put, I'll go get it!"

Without another word, Hojo ran back inside the hut and Kagome could hear him rummaging around and then he was back again, his outstretched hand holding a bowl.

"If you don't mind me asking, Kagome." He didn't wait for her to reply. "What happened to you? Where have you been? Do you need me to take care of you?"

All Kagome could do was look at him. He really was unbelievable. "Hojo, you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine. I was at a village a day away from here and they took very good care of me so I wont need your help, but thank you." She grabbed the bowl out of his hand. "Thank you for making this for us." And with that she turned and left. Hopefully he would not follow her home and when she turned to look behind her, she found he was not behind her, luckily.

Stepping inside her house, she found her mother cooking and her brother helping her. It looked like they were going to have some rice and meat tonight and Kagome silently wondered if Hojo had given them that meat. Nevertheless she handed her mother the bowl. "Is there anything I can do?"

Her mother shook her head. "No. But you can sit so I can put some of this on."

Obeying her mothers order, Kagome sat and loosened her top just enough for her mother to be able to put her hand on the wound and apply the medicine. She didn't have any bandages on and it was a lot easier doing it this way rather than having to change bandages every two minutes.

"Does it hurt Kagome?" asked her mother.

The hint of sadness on her mothers voice did not go unnoticed and Kagome tried to reassure her. "It doesn't hurt at all mom, it will probably be gone by tomorrow!"

She heard her mother laugh and she washed her hands of the medicine before returning back to the food. "I hope so. Dinner won't be done for a bit so just relax for the time being."

Everything was getting back to normal and it pleased Kagome. She didn't want anyone worrying over her and she didn't want any attention. She was tired of all that and she was glad her mother wasn't asking any questions. Her wound was of the past and even though she might have a physical scar and knew she would never forget what happened, she didn't want her family to be burdened with the feeling of regret by not being able to take care of her. She could take care of herself and she wanted to take care of her mother.

Leaving the thoughts alone, Kagome turned to see a vase in the corner of the room and is surprised to see that all the flowers are still there and in full bloom. Walking over, she grabbed the vase that was full of roses and added the red rose that she had put in her shirt.

Studying the peaceful arrangement of flowers she decided to go to her spot in the woods. "Hey mom?"

"Yes Kagome?"

"I'm going to go out for a bit." She would go and rest in the woods since she had not been there in a very long time.

Her mother seemed hesitant at first when Kagome looked at her, but her mother grinned and said she could go. "Just be back in time for dinner."

Not wasting anymore time, Kagome left her house and quickly walked through the village and into the forest to her spot.

Nothing had changed from the last time she had seen it. The flowers were still there and her tree was as full of life as it ever was. Sitting down, she let her head lean against the tree and closed her eyes.

"I'm so glad to be back," she said, stretching her arms above her head and relaxed. The feeling of peace surrounded her and the sounds of the birds singing made Kagome smile. She briefly wondered how far Kikyo and InuYasha traveled and hoped they got home without any problems.

She wondered when she would see them again. Maybe in a week? A year? Who knew?

Feeling a tickly on her leg, Kagome glared down and her eyes widened.

A very large flower, larger than the others, was right next to her leg but was not opened. Curiously, she poked it and she jumped when it actually moved.

She watched as it slowly opened, revealing both the rice bag and the bag of money she had dropped.

She gasps, reaching out to hold them and see if they are real. Holding them to her form, she carefully looked around to try and find Youko but he was nowhere in sight.

"Thank you…" she whispered with tears in her eyes.

* * *

Please let me know what you thought. This is actually 12 pages in word and over 22,000 words. LOL ME

Anyway, I have a charm site where I am going to cell charms for phones, backpacks, ipods and cameras and all that crap. The link is in my profile.

Until Next Time!

Dark Paine


	11. Chapter 11

**First Love**

** Chapter Eleven**

"Ahh," soothed Kagome softly as she stood up and slightly stretched backwards, trying to relieve the pain from her sore back.

Working at these rice fields was both beneficial and unpleasant in a way. She would work almost the whole day and leave with a free bag of rice and some money, but she would also leave very sore and tired. But Kagome knew that this would happen every time so she didn't complain.

Closing her eyes, she raised her head and basked in the sun.

Being home for a week still seemed fresh to her in a way. The time she had spent with Kikyo and InuYasha seemed to have taken forever, not that it was a horrible experience, it was just that nothing was home like the place where she resided with her mother and Souta.

It had been a week.

A week being home again.

A week since she had seen Kikyo and InuYasha.

A week since she had seen Youko.

To be honest, she had not made an attempt to see him. Kagome had not even gone to the forest, which surprised even her.

In the back of her mind she hoped that Youko would come to her home, sweep her off her feet and they would spend the rest of their lives together.

She laughed to herself at the thought.

At the moment, Kagome wasn't as lucky as Miroku and Sango or InuYasha and Kikyo.

Opening her eyes, Kagome glanced around her and suddenly remembered she had met Kikyo here.

She never though she would have ended up in Kikyo's care a short time after they had met, but since meeting Youko, anything seemed possible.

Bending down once again, Kagome finished placing the rice in the water, then straightening she picked up her basket and trudged through the water, being careful not to step on the rice, and headed for the shore.

She could only hope everyone was doing well before she placed her basket on the side of the old cabin and disappeared inside to change. Moments later she stepped back out and found the old woman waiting for her.

Their eyes connected and Kagome instantly received a smile, which she returned.

"Thank you for coming back to work! Here is your bag of rice and your payment." She held out two bags like she had last time she had been there and like the previous time, Kagome grabbed them but found herself unable to move.

Youko's words echoed in her mind.

_A woman at the bottom of the hill was hiding something. _

Another reason she had come here was to keep an eye on the woman as much as possible.

"Please be careful," the words left her lips gently before she could even think about it as she bowed. "I will be back tomorrow to work!"

The old woman seemed to chuckle as she patted Kagome's shoulder. "I will be looking forward to your arrival," replied the old woman not bothering to reply to what Kagome had first said.

After feeling the warm hand leave her shoulder Kagome stood up straight and waved goodbye before heading off. Instead of going straight home, she needed to stop at the market to pick up a few things. She had made enough money to buy some meat and she might as well pick up some Tako-Yaki.

Scattered thoughts of her date with Hojo ran through her mind and she shook her head. It seemed the only good thing that had come out of that date had been the Tako-Yaki.

The market was full of people; most were either old or young couples although there were some children running around.

Finding a meat stand did not take very long. She was greeted by an old man who asked what she wanted. She asked for some chicken then paid and was on her way.

Walking through the market made Kagome feel relaxed even though it was bustling and loud. She wasn't a regular here but some of the owners of the stands recognized her and would say 'hello' to her when she passed by. Generally there were nice people but Kagome would sometimes come across a very moody person here and there. It annoyed Kagome to be treated unkindly but she would never say anything.

Weaving her way around various shops and stands, she came upon a Tako-Yaki stand.

"Hello, what can I get ya?" asked a girl her age enthusiastically.

Kagome smiled at the girl's energy. "Yes, can I have a dozen plain Tako-Yaki?"

"Coming right up!" She turned and began preparing Kagome's order.

As she waited for her food, Kagome decided to listen to the town's voices around her until her interest focused on two male voices. She did not move while she strained to hear what they were saying.

"Did ya hear 'bout that huge bounty on that demon?" asked a masculine voice.

"Yea! I heard it was a thief that had stolen some rare purple necklace from a Lord months ago! No ones caught 'em yet!"

Kagome's eyes narrowed when an image of the necklace flashed through her mind and she gasped.

Turning, she saw her the two men walking away from her. One had his long black hair up in a ponytail, sword strapped to his side. He was dressed din a samurai gi. The other had a very tight black shirt with black pants with two swords strapped across his back. He looked very muscular and had shoulder length black hair also.

Their forms slowly disappeared and Kagome frowned.

Were they after Youko? With a sigh she shook her head and turned to see the girl holding a bag towards her, which almost made Kagome jump out of her skin.

After paying the woman, Kagome headed back towards her village. If those men were after Youko…

She growled to herself. She didn't need to worry about Youko. He would be perfectly fine on his own. And she shouldn't even be surprised. He had stolen something so someone was bound to be after him.

No one would be able to kill Youko anyway.

With her determined thoughts in mind, she pushed the images of a hurt Youko out of her mind and trekked home.

The rest of her walk home was spent in a peaceful silence and she would admire the scenery every now and then. Upon arriving at her village it almost seemed empty until she reached her home and she raised her eyebrows.

There were horses and guards outside her house as well as a small crowd of villagers and her heart began to race.

She pushed her way through the crowd only to be stopped by a guard right by her door. His face was emotionless and his voice was the same.

"No one enters." He said gruffly.

She looked at the guard incredulously. "What are you talking about?! This is my home! Where are my mother and brother?"

Just as she finished her sentence, she heard a chuckle and the deer hide that covered the doorway was pushed aside.

The bags that had once been held tightly in Kagome's hands fell to the ground with a gasp.

"Its good to see you again, Lady Kagome," spoke Akihiro, smiling.

* * *

The sunny day held no interest for him. There was no new news on any special artifact, so he had spent the day mostly by himself until nightfall where he now stood outside some old cabin.

"Youko?"

He didn't bother to turn around and acknowledge the old woman. She would continue talking like she always would anyway.

"That girl…she was here again."

He turned at this and looked coldly at her. "I have no interest whether or not that human was here or not. My only concern was to receive information on valuable items, and since you have none to offer, there is no reason for me to stay."

He turned to leave but stopped when he heard her laugh.

"Then you wouldn't be interested that another handsome, _young_ man asked about her? He passed through here this morning saying he was the son of the Lord of the North. He's probably spent the whole day with her."

By the time she had said all she wanted, he was a good distance from her but she knew he had heard every word by the way his ears never swiveled ahead of him.

* * *

Impossible.

Everything that had just happened had to be a dream.

There was no way Akihiro had found her. It was just impossible…

Kagome released a shaky breath as she rested her hand on a tree for support.

It seemed as if the forest knew of her sadness and in return stayed quiet yet welcoming.

She had not been ready to see him and nor was she ready to hear what he had told her but he did.

He had told her he never stopped looking for her and explained some of his journey to her and he was just as surprised as she was that he had found her.

She placed her hands over her face, remembering why he had come.

He asked her mother for her hand in marriage. That she would leave tomorrow to stay at his estate while he courted her.

Nothing was going the right way for her and it was all too fast but her mother…. Her mother had been ecstatic; nothing could have been better so she immediately agreed.

Kagome had wanted to say something to her mother but couldn't. She didn't want to upset her.

_"He's going to be a lord, Kagome."_ Her mother had told her. _"You will never have to live like this again."_

Taking her hands from her face, Kagome let the tears fall. Her mother had meant well...but she wished she could have had some word in it.

She took only one step before she saw him.

Her lips quivered before she forced a smile. He didn't return it.

She whipped her tear-streaked face nervously. "Thank you for everything you have done." She spoke softly, blinking rapidly to try and stop from crying any more. She could feel her heart rip itself apart and her throat became hot as she bowed in respect.

"Why?" she heard him ask.

She stood up straight but kept her face down. "I-I will probably never get to tell you that again…I'm leaving tomorrow and wont be back for a while."

He didn't say anything and they looked at each other.

Memories of every time he had saved her and their moments together came. Their first meeting because of a demon, meeting him in the alleyway, in the forest many times, saving her from the demon in the daisy field…there was just so many times.

He had been there for her every time she needed him even though he didn't know it and the pressure on Kagome's heart built up and she let out a sob and before she would think, her feet took her away from him until she collapsed on the forest floor, crying until she could no longer stay awake.

* * *

OOOOO. Sad chapter…. but I liked writing it. I had another snow day today so I wrote the rough draft. I hope you all liked it, so tell me what you thought!

Also check out the things in my profile. A.K.A the links…

Until next time!

Dark Paine


	12. Chapter 12

_**I want to live, I want to live and run to your place right now  
I can't see anything in the pitch dark, even if it's scary, I'm all right  
The countless starry sky is still here now, forever  
I won't cry because the sky I saw before with you was beautiful **_

**First Love **

**Chapter Twelve **

_"Why?" she heard him ask. _

_She stood up straight but kept her face down. "I-I will probably never get to tell you that again…I'm leaving tomorrow and wont be back for a while." _

_He didn't say anything and they looked at each other. _

That was what had transpired moments before she had run away.

He did not bother going after her, even though he thought he would for a split second. Why, he did not know, at least at the moment.

The girl was out of sight but her scent lingered in the air. He had never really paid any attention to it until now, as he stood alone, the moons light somehow finding its way towards him through the trees. The sound of crickets chirped in the safety of the dark, their melodies were scattered but peaceful nevertheless.

She smelled human only with a slight difference he observed.

She smelled of flowers, like the ones where he now stood. She had been here so many times that the smell would probably never rub off of her no matter how hard she scrubbed. But it was a pleasant smell to him, mainly because of the flowers. He loved plant life, made it sprout anywhere he so pleased just to satisfy himself and his needs.

Turning, he began making his way into the forest, not forgetting what lay in the other direction. A strong wind came and whipped his hair around and he once again caught her scent.

In a way it soothed him and yet in another he hated it. There was nothing or no one that could soothe him other than the flowers he loved and sometimes his friend, Kuronue, who he had not seen for many days now and would probably ask him many questions when he returned.

Kuronue was his right hand man and accompanied him on many thieving expeditions. For some reason Youko had told him not to come with him on his most recent ones. Was it because he wanted to do it alone, or was it because he wanted to keep some things secret?

He had never told Kuronue of Kagome or anything that had to do with their meetings on and off. Absolutely nothing, not one word. It surprised him that he kept a secret from his friend. They usually would tell each other what was on their mind or troubling them in one way or another…but he hadn't.

Youko had not told his friend that he met Kagome on pure chance in the forest after the pitiful demon had actually found the necklace he had been looking for and ran away with it. It took only seconds to kill the demon but the girl he had 'saved' took up until now to leave him.

Nothing about meeting her in the alleyway, in the forest, in the fields or returning the rice and money she had dropped. He had kept her a secret, _his_ secret.

For what reason?

He began walking again, never once tripping or losing his grace even when he closed his eyes.

Youko guessed it was out of curiosity for him to observe the girl after their second meeting. He had even had the old lady at the rice field keep tabs on her, which he never did.

In all the hundreds of years he had lived, this had never happened to him. Strangely he grinned to himself sharp fangs reveled.

Humans might call his infatuation with her 'love' and he found it rather amusing. He did not know what to call it but it would probably be over with soon since she would be leaving for whatever reasons she had to. Sighing, he decided that now was a good time to return to his home and his thieves.

* * *

"Kagome?" whispered the said girls mother into her ear as she gently shook her awake.

There was a small moan. "Mom?"

Her mother laughed, " Come on Kagome, its time to get up and get ready."

Kagome squinted her eyes at her mother. "...what?" she asked, exasperated.

And then it dawned on her. Today was the day she would be leaving to stay with Akihiro while he 'courted' her. It really didn't make any sense. If he wanted to court her then he should come here to get her and bring her places. Why did she have to go to stay with him anyway?

This whole situation just wasn't fair in Kagome's opinion. She shouldn't have to go anywhere or leave anyone or even be with Akihiro let alone** marry** him. The feelings for him just weren't there…but she would give it a shot for her mother.

And that was the only reason.

Maybe…she could learn to love him. He was nice after all.

Sitting up she stretched and yawned. Today was going to be long…she might as well get it over with as fast as possible. She could only wish night would come faster so she would be able to get away from it all. It seemed right now that only sleep would help her survive what was to come.

Standing up she walked over to her pile of clothes and changed, not bothering to take a bath or wash herself. Hopefully he would think twice about taking her anywhere today if she didn't smell great.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of the kimono Hojo had given her and shook her head. That was one thing she would not be bringing with her which meant the only things she would bring were her sleeping yukata and the ancient kimono she wore now. Her mother could sell that if she wanted to.

Kagome knelt and wrapped her clothing in a protective covering but just before she was going to tie it in a knot, her eyes traveled to the rose Youko had given her and she immediately knew she couldn't leave it behind. So she carefully pulled the red rose out of the vase and placed it between her sleeping yukata folds that was in the protective cover and then tied a knot.

Kagome sighed. She wouldn't be able to go work today and bring home maybe the last payment to her family that she ever would have.

"Kagome?" called her mother from outside.

"Yea?" she answered, heart picking up speed rapidly.

She watched as her mother pulled back the deer hide from the doorway to peer in. "They're coming!"

Kagome's eyes widened and she took a shaky breath. This was it. Her whole life would change from this and she knew it. Nothing would be the same and she wished she was ready for it…but she just didn't feel that way.

* * *

He ran through the forest with such speed that no human would ever be able to see him. Only skilled demons that were close to or up to his level would be able to spot him. He made sure to leave no trail and hid his scent well with the flowers and trees masking his scent. No matter how strong or weak a demon was he did not want it to follow him to his home.

Jumping through the opening he had made in the trees, he landed in his territory and made sure to close the opening behind him. He looked around.

Everything was the same as he had left it. Nothing was out of place and nothing was burnt down so that was a plus. There were many demon women walking around so it seemed his men were having their fun while he was out.

Not bothering to acknowledge anyone, he walked passed them, not meeting their eyes but seeing through them as he walked to the largest tree he had ever made. His home. Its bark was thick and the trunk was wide, it had to be to be able to support the thousands of branches at the top. It was a sakura tree, one he had sprouted and worked on for many years until it was perfect for him to live in. it was untouched since he had been there and he was satisfied, although it didn't surprise him. If someone were to have put anything out of place, he would surely teach them a lesson.

He walked passed his men; some grinned and said they were glad he was back while others were too enthralled with their women to care. Just as he was about to disappear into the sakura tree, his long time accomplice appeared beside him.

"Youko? I thought you'd never come back," said Kuronue, surprise laced in his words.

Youko sighed and shook his head at his friend. "You haven't changed."

He still had long black hair pulled up into a ponytail to come out of his black hat. Still had lace twisted up his arms, bat wings, the crimson-stoned pendant he never took off, same black shirt with an enormous collar and just the same everything.

Kuronue scratched his head. "Well, people don't change in a week or…however long you've been gone for, it would be ridiculous if I ever changed anyway."

Youko rolled his eyes then nodded his head in the direction of the men and women. "Why the celebration?"

Kuronue tsk'ed and looked disappointed. "Not a celebration. The men were just getting lonely so they brought back some women. They'll be gone by morning. Do you want one?"

Youko raised his eyebrows before he moved to go up into the sakura tree. Kuronue stopped him.

"Where have you been Youko? Why did you just up and leave? Wont you tell me?" he asked innocently and batted his eyes.

Youko looked at him with disgust. His friend was a moron. "I caught wind of a treasure and had to go after it." He pulled out the necklace he had been holding onto and Kuronue's eyes lit up. "And I also was able to get a golden trinket but that was it."

Kuronue tilted his head. "You were gone for days just to get two things? I thought you would have come back with at least a wagon full of expensive things."

Instead of answering him, Youko took his leave. He could hear Kuronue's laughter beneath him before he was out of earshot.

* * *

Kagome stood outside, her mother and brother on either side of her as a carriage pulled up. Her heart was racing. This was it.

Oh how she desperately wished she could run away and leave. She would rather work at the rice fields for ten days nonstop rather than go to Akihiro.

But she couldn't.

Her mother squeezed her hand reassuringly when the horse drawn carriage stopped in front of her little house.

"This is it," whispered Kagome silently to herself. She felt a tug on her old kimono and bent to look at Souta in the eyes.

"Kagome…you're going to come and see us soon right?" he asked in a small voice, eyes starting to tear.

Kagome couldn't speak, she was too choked up so she nodded and hugged her brother tightly, trying to make is last for forever before she turned to her mother and she was engulfed in a hug.

Her mother sniffled in her hair and whispered in her ear. "I want you to be happy Kagome. I want you to never live like this again. Don't worry about us, we will be fine but come to visit soon, okay?"

Kagome nodded and hugged her mother harder, never wanting to let go.

"Be a good girl Kagome, I only want what's best for you," said her mother before she lightly pushed Kagome away from her and wiped the tears from her face.

Kagome sucked on her bottom lip, tears also streaming down her face and she nodded. "I will." She was barely able to get the words out of her mouth. She was shaking pretty badly.

"Are you Ms. Higurashi?" asked the man on the carriage, holding the reigns of the horses in his hand. He was her mother's age and had salt and pepper hair. He seemed rather nice and had a gentle gaze.

Kagome turned and nodded her head at the man and he jumped down from his perch. And took her bundle. "Is this all?"

She nodded again and he looked a little surprised but he didn't say anything else. Instead he turned and placed it into the carriage before facing her again. "Shall we go?"

Kagome took one last breath and hugged both her mother and brother one last time before the man helped her into the carriage. She made sure to sit right next to the window so she was able to wave vigorously at her tearful family as she was driven away.

She had no idea what was in store for her once she got to Akihiro. She just hoped this journey would take a few days.

* * *

Okay, so you all got Youko's PV and stuff. I hope you liked it. I wrote it all between yesterday and today without a rough draft lol. I think I will only do this kind from now on! Much easier.

Let me know what you think!

Until next time:

Dark Paine


	13. Chapter 13

_**Even though they shouldn't have changed at all, sad feelings swell in me  
No matter what I feel, you're not here anymore**_

**First Love**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Looking out the carriage window blankly, Kagome sighed as she rested her head in her cupped hand. This was their second day of traveling and for some reason; only seeing trees and the occasional animal didn't interest her at all. She usually loved nature, loved spending time in the forest, watching the flowers grow and enjoy the peace it brought to her, but these past two days it seemed she could care less about it each minute.

Last night had been uneventful. The driver of the carriage, Tora, had slept outside while she rested in the carriage and although the carriage was comfortable, she didn't sleep well. The thought of where she was going was constantly on her mind and she grew more nervous by the second.

The feeling only intensified now, as the forest started to disappear and a long stretch of open land came into view. It was beautiful, she had to admit, and it was a welcomed change to the thick forest.

_This is it…_ she thought, running her hands over her lap to try and straighten out her old kimono. _I could be living here for the rest of my life so I should probably get used to this._

"The estate is just up ahead!" she heard Tora call from outside. "We'll be there sooner than you know it!"

Her eyes became downcast. "Oh…great," she whispered to herself. His words didn't comfort her in the way he thought it would, it only made her more restless. She wasn't ready for this…she didn't even want this to happen.

Maybe…she should have told her mother 'no' for once. Then she wouldn't even be here right now, heart almost bursting from her chest with nervousness.

But she didn't. She had gone along with her mother's wishes as she always did and now she was here. Her future she had pictured with Youko would probably never happen.

She felt the carriage turn and come to a slow halt. Peering out the other window on the other side of the carriage, Kagome could see some of the estate, only some of a wall for that matter.

The carriage shifted and then Tora was opening the door she was currently looking out at the estate from and extended a hand out to her. "Come, milady," he urged nicely.

Here eyes widened and she fisted the fabric in her heads roughly and took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for the inevitable.

Staring back at Tora, she nodded her head and gave him her hand and he helped her out of the carriage. Stepping on the solid earth, Kagome's hand was released and she was able to get a good look at the estate.

It was beautiful. Gardens and sakura trees surrounded the beautiful Japanese estate with a thatched roof and the smell was lovely. The building itself was a work of art, and nothing she could ever image before. There were figures moving around, as Kagome could see, behind the shoji doors, probably getting ready for her arrival although she wasn't anyone special.

She could hear water running and she squinted to see a small pond a good distance away from her on the right. Rocks and pebbles made a path to the front of the estate and around it.

Turning back to the front of the estate, she saw Akihiro walking briskly towards her and she blushed. The women that lined the entryway in their beautiful kimono bowed respectfully as he passed them. He smiled all the way to her and when he finally reached her she bowed also, trying to hide her face from his view.

He laughed slightly and raised her face to look at him with his hand. "There is no need for _you_ to bow Lady Kagome. You are my guest, _not_ my servant."

He smiled as she straightened her back. "Um…okay." She wasn't exactly used to his words as well as not bowing in front of someone much higher in society than she.

He leaned forward, his shoulder brushing hers and she gulped. When he turned back to her, she saw he had her bundle in his hands. "Come," he said, taking her hand in his. "I will show you your room."

"Okay-" replied Kagome quickly as he pulled her along.

The moment she entered the enormous estate, she was engulfed with scents and smells that somewhat eased her nerves. After removing her old shoes in the genkan, Aki lead her through the large building. She could see some of the servants peeking out from corners or doors. Some seemed to smile at her and didn't mind her presence while others gave her nasty glares and whispered as she passed.

She tried to not let it get to her and brush it off…but could she really blame them for their remarks? The maids and servants were dressed **much** better than she and she was his guest. At this point in time, she really did feel embarrassed by how she dressed.

Back home it didn't matter how she dressed or if she wore the same thing for days. Here, it was as if she would be scrutinized for everything she wore. Maybe she would even be cast out if she wore the same thing more than once.

They walked down many hallways; some were dark while others were very bright from the sun shining through the windows and she could hear birds chirping happily from the trees. Going down another hallway, Aki stopped and released her hand and slid open a door.

"This," he said, turning to look at Kagome, "will be your room."

Stepping aside, he gestured for Kagome to walk into the room, which she did, ever so slowly and peered around the large room.

There was a bed, raised off of the floor, something she wasn't used to, a few tables, large windows that looked out upon the land and gardens, and a closet, which Kagome had only seen maybe once or twice in her life since they were so expensive.

Here eyes widened to take in all that she could and she unknowingly found herself with a slight smile playing on her lips. "Its beautiful."

Akihiro came to stand beside her and he placed her bundle on the table closest to him. "I'm glad you like it. I hope you will be able to make yourself at home." He turned his gaze on her and smiled warmly. "The maids will be in here soon to give you new clothes that I had made especially for you. In the mean time, make yourself comfortable and bathe if you so choose. The bathroom is through the door to your left." At this he turned his whole body towards her and picked up her hand, she looked away. "I'm glad you've come Lady Kagome." Bringing her hand up, he kissed it gently and left her, closing the shoji door behind him. She had lost track of how many times he had kissed her hand but it still didn't make her feelings for him change.

Wandering towards the windows Kagome looked outside and closed her eyes, letting the sun warm her skin. She had only been here for a few minutes and she was already homesick. She missed her mother's smile and laugh she even missed her brother.

And Youko…she missed him dearly. She wished she had parted with him in a much nicer fashion than what had happened. She had it planned too if she were to see him. She tried as hard as she could not to cry but when he actually asked her that simple question 'why?' she had let her emotions show.

He rarely ever talked to her…and when he asked her that one question it seemed like he was starting to open up to her but she couldn't hold on to it. She had to leave and come here.

If she had said no, she knew she might have been able to spend her time with Youko at this very moment. But she was here, with Akihiro.

Sliding away from the window she turned just in time to hear a knock on her door. "Come in," she called and watched as the shoji door opened slowly and two maids came in with brilliantly made kimono in hand.

"These are for you my lady," said the first woman. She was much older than Kagome and she had a kind old smile. She didn't wait for Kagome to say anything as she walked passed her and placed the kimono in the closet.

The second woman, who seemed a few years older than Kagome seemed to glare at her as she followed the older woman. Kagome wasn't able to meet her gaze; instead she looked at the older woman and bowed. "Thank you very much."

The older woman's bow was much deeper than Kagome's as she said, "These are from Akihiro-sama, there is no need to thank us. Akihiro-sama wishes to see you in the main room in an hour or so, so please be dressed and ready soon." With that, the woman stood and left.

The other however, stood where she was and ran her gaze over Kagome and clicked her tongue. "What a pity…we were expecting someone with much more…attributes…"

"Leiko!" said the older woman sternly. "Do **not** disrespect Akihiro-sama's guest."

This 'Leiko' rolled her eyes and turned. "Alright Tamaki-san, I'll leave her alone."

Kagome's eyes followed the women as they left. She couldn't say…anything back to them.

How could she when she knew Leiko was right?

She brought almost nothing with her here. She had no money, she wasn't beautiful, and she was uneducated. There was nothing she had that could help Akihiro in any way, shape, or form.

Letting out a shaky breath, she turned to the door Aki had said led to the bathroom. She did need a bath. If she were to live here, she would probably need to take on everyday. So she headed to the room, slid open the door and closed it behind her.

It was huge to say the least, but instead of having that 'wow' reaction, she didn't even seem to care. There was a huge amount of space given to the bath, which was a hot spring with constant flowing water, and it was steaming.

As she untied her obi, Kagome spotted a towel on a chair just before her kimono slid from her shoulders. She walked to the waters edge, not even bothering to test how hot or cold it was before sinking into the water.

She let her arms float lifelessly to the top before she swayed them back and forth in the water, creating small waves. Her thoughts took her back to her home, to a place she longed for more than ever.

Kagome knew that she should have expected people to say the same things (maybe even worse) that Leiko had.

Standing up, she waded in the water to where the soaps and hair cleaning liquids were and proceeded to wash her hair.

_I knew I shouldn't have come here._ She thought to herself sadly. _I'm an outcast._

For some reason she thought of her mothers words and how she only wanted the best for Kagome; how she didn't want Kagome to live the way they had for all of her life.

Closing her eyes, she submerged herself in the water and washed out all of the soap from her hair and then resurfaced.

"I have to get through this," she said to herself, searching desperately for some sort of determination.

Finishing up, Kagome left the warm water and wrapped herself in a towel and quickly dried her body off before wrapping the towel around her head and drying her hair. When she was done, her hair was slightly damp but it wasn't bad so she once again wrapped the towel around her body and went back into the bedroom.

To her surprise, a kimono was neatly lain out on her bed. It was white with pink diamond shapes scattered on it with a red obi. It was very pretty and she only had a little more time left before she would have to go and meet Akihiro.

Releasing herself of the towel, Kagome reluctantly got dressed.

* * *

At night, when he was here in his tree, he would come to the same spot to gaze at the moon. From below, no one would be able to see him but from where Youko was, his view of the moon was crystal clear.

Now he sat, back leaning against a thick branch as the moons light graced his skin, giving him a surreal glow and illuminating his silver hair. He felt peaceful although at some points in time he felt empty but didn't bother to recognize it.

Turning his head away from the moon, his golden eyes rested on Kuronue.

His friend had a sneaky smile on his face, which only meant one thing but Youko decided to not know what it was for his friends benefit.

"What is it?" asked the kitsune.

Kuronue crossed his arms over his chest, "Well, there's going to be a big theiving expedition soon. We are going to start to prepare tomorrow, would you like to join us?"

Youko turned his gaze back to the moon. "No. I cant seem to find the desire to steal right now. You can go on without me."

Immediateley Kuronue became sad. "What? But we're partners in crime! We always go together! why the sudden change?"

Youko didn't bother to answer him and Kuronue shook his head before disappearing into the night.

* * *

Kagome walked down the steps carefully as to not trip in her kimono. She was clean and her hair was pulled up courtesy of Tamaki who had come moments ago to check on her. Tamaki had told her that Akihiro was waiting for her in the main room and that she would lead her there.

Although Tamaki was old, she still held her grace and was aging beautifully. She had gray hair and wore a golden yukata. Her face was wrinkled but Kagome didn't mind it one bit.

As for the other girl, Leiko, she was nowhere in sight but instead she saw many other women watching her from safe spots as she made her way through the estate.

She could hear muffled snickers and laughs as she passed them but she held her head high until she was out of the lion's pit.

They now stood in front of another shoji door and Tamaki knelt down and slowly opened the door, revealing the outside world.

"Akihiro-sama is waiting for you," spoke Tamaki. "Go on now."

Nodding her head, Kagome slipped into a pair of sandals and walked out onto the deck and sure enough, Aki was standing a few feet away with his back facing her.

As she cleared the doorway, Kagome heard the shoji door shut behind her and then Aki turned to her. She watched as his eyes widened before looking her over, a smile gracing his face.

She bowed slightly, "You wanted to see me Akihiro?"

He smiled. "Remember, Lady Kagome, just call me Aki."

She sucked on her bottom lip just before she nodded. She stood up straight as he came to stand beside her and presented his arm.

Almost hesitantly, she placed her arm through his and they walked together down the steps and into the gardens.

It felt rather awkward to walk with Aki this way. She couldn't say she really liked it but nor could she say she hated it. To Kagome, it just seemed like something she would do out of habit, without feeling.

He led her deep into the garden until they came upon a bench, which they sat comfortably on under a weeping willow.

Taking her hands in his larger ones, Akihiro faced her. "Kagome," he said and waited for her to meet his gaze. "I will take things slow and will not, on my life, move faster than you see fit. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable around me and I would never try to dishonor my name to try and do something you wouldn't want to."

It meant a lot to Kagome to hear those words from Aki. It seemed to lift a small amount of weight off of her chest. "Thank you Aki. That makes me feel…better."

He nodded his head before standing up. She too stood up and he looked into her eyes almost lovingly. "I'm sorry to leave you early, but there is a meeting I must attend to. Feel free to walk where you please and explore. If you need anything, ask the servants."

He bowed to her and surprisingly did not kiss her hand before he left, making Kagome feel like he would stick to his word. Akihiro really was a gentlemen and she admired him for that.

And he kept being a gentlemen as the days passed. He never mistreated her and he never once made a move on her that she didn't like. In her opinion, things were going very slow and she liked it that way.

They spend time together throughout the weeks and he would take her places, take her shopping and travel, experience things she never thought she would.

When they weren't together, Kagome would write to her family or talk to Tamaki when she would come around. Leiko was the same as when Kagome had first met her and as the weeks passed, Kagome eventually didn't let the comments she said bother her.

Although things were going fine on the outside for Kagome, on the inside it was not as good. She missed her family all the time; she hadn't seen them in what seemed like forever.

She was standing in her room now and she turned to look at the one thing that was keeping her sane in this world. The red rose in the vase that Youko had given her.

She almost cried a few times when she saw it. She missed seeing his face and she could barely remember his scent. He haunted her dreams most nights and sometimes it was pleasant and at other times it was almost scary.

Walking over to the flower she took it out of the vase lifted it to her nose and took in its scent. It amazed her how long this flower had been living for and it didn't look like it was going to wilt anytime soon. It was because of Youko that this flower was living so long.

Sitting on the comfortable bed, Kagome silently wondered if he knew where she was as she gazed at the rose. Maybe she could go home and see him again and tell him everything because…

Because no matter what Akihiro did…her heart still belonged to Youko even though neither of them realized it. Sometimes it made her laugh and sometimes it didn't.

Releasing her hair from its strenuous up do, Kagome ran her fingers through her long raven locks and watched the wind blow the trees around outside her window. It looked like there was going to be a bad storm soon by the evil gray clouds that approached.

There was a knock on her door. "Kagome?" It was Akihiro.

"Come in!" she said and quickly stood up to greet him, tucking the rose in the folds of her kimono. "Back from your meeting already?"

He ran his hands up and down his arms and smiled at her. "Yes. It was rather boring so I decided to rush home just to see you. How are you doing on this very…sad day?"

She smiled back at him. "I'm doing fine."

Everything seemed fine as they stood there together until Aki turned his eyes away for a moment only to look back at her. His eyes were still kind…although they seemed to be burning with something and he slowly walked towards her and it gave her goose bumps as well as making her feel officially uncomfortable.

Kagome found herself taking steps back as he advanced on her until she hit a wall with her back and she stared wide-eyed up at him as he still approached.

"Kagome," he said huskily.

Here eyes widened. She had never heard her name being called…that way before and she squeaked. "Akihiro?"

Just as he was about to reach her there was a blood-churning cry and she watched Akihiro shake his head, eyes returning back to normal.

"What was that?" asked Kagome, fear in her voice.

Akihiro looked around and before unsheathing his sword. "Stay back Kagome!" he said, positioning himself in front of her.

"What's going on?" she asked more desperately.

There were loud footsteps coming and the shoji door to Kagome's room opened with a loud crack.

It was a guard…covered in blood.

"Akihiro-sama! We are being attacked by demons!"

Kagome heard Aki growl. "What?!"

"Its-" He was cut off when a sword came down and cut through him, blood spraying everywhere.

Kagome had seen demons killed…but never a human. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open.

"Aki…"

Akihiro held up an arm. "Don't look Kagome!"

As he said those words, a demon walked through the door. It looked human…but when you saw the bat wings and the strangely pointed ears you'd know better.

"What do you want here demon?" growled Akihiro menacingly.

The demon laughed and advanced, cleaning his sword that was covered in human blood with the flick of his wrist. "We're here…to do some shopping?" it said jokingly.

Aki narrowed his eyes. "What? If you wanted to take something, then take it! Why kill my men in the process?"

The demon smiled, revealing fangs. "Now where would the fun be if we didn't have a little fun in the process?"

Aki smiled angrily. "You want a little fun?"

The demon raised his eyebrows.

Akihiro kept his eyes on the demon. "Kagome?"

"Y-Yes?" was her shaky reply.

"I want you to close your eyes."

She did and she crouched down, covering her face with her hands as she shook violently.

"I also want you to know, if anything is to happen to me and if I cant say it again, that I love you and that I would gladly die to protect you."

When she opened her eyes she saw Aki lunge at the demon and their swords connected. Aki's teeth were clenched together and it seemed as if he was using all the strength he could muster while the demon…the demon looked unfazed.

Kagome watched in horror as the demon effortlessly threw Aki off of him and into a wall. There was a bone-crushing crack and it laughed and licked his lips.

"Aki!" Kagome screamed when he made no movement. She soon found her eyes met with the demons and he smiled.

"A rather pretty one aren't we?" he said and turned to face her.

There was a loud groan and Aki squinted his eyes to look up at the demon with bat wings. "Don't…don't you dare!"

The demon pointed his sword at Akihiro, smile leaving his face. "Don't do what? Take your woman?"

Aki pushed his way to his feet. "I'll kill you!" he roared and ran at the demon.

Before Kagome knew it, Aki's sword was ripped from his hands and his eyes widened. His mouth opened and the demon smirked evilly.

"Goodnight young lord," said the bat demon sarcastically and raised his sword. In one fluid motion he swiped down, cutting Akihiro across the chest and blood once again stained his sword a deep crimson.

There was a loud moan and Akihiro fell to his knees, blood dripping from his mouth, as he looked down at his hands shocked.

"Akihiro!" called Kagome, tears streaming down her face. Even though she wasn't in love with him, she couldn't bear seeing him like that…it was breaking her heart.

She watched him slowly move his head in her direction and smiled before his eyes slowly shut and he slumped to the side and hit the floor loudly.

The sound echoed in her ears and she couldn't take her eyes off of Akihiro…

He wasn't moving and she could feel the tears falling more rapidly, blurring her vision. "Aki…hiro…"

"Well that was easy," muttered the demon, sheathing his sword.

Kagome leaned forward on her hands and knees. "How…how could you?" she asked, gasping for breath as a tremor of sobs racked her body.

The bat demon turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow. "I almost forgot about you…" he eyed her and watched as something slipped out of her kimono and onto the floor.

A red rose.

Suddenly another voice was heard but Kagome didn't bother to look at its owner. She sat back on her legs and stared down at the flower on the floor. Her hand slowly moved to it and she grasped it, not caring that its thorns were digging into her skin.

"Kuronue, what do we do with the women?" it asked.

She listened as the bat demon sighed and heard the approaching footsteps but didn't care to look, her eyes were glued to the flower.

"We'll take them with us."

She said nothing as two rough hands hoisted her up and dragged her out of the room.

* * *

OMG LONG CHAPTER!! Eleven pages in Word.

I hope you liked it…because I really enjoyed writing the end to this chapter. Idk why but I really like to write fighting/death scenes.

Now you should all stand and salute the fallen Akihiro. BAIBAI AKI

Anyway, let me know what you thought! This chapter took FOREVER to write.

Until Next time!

Dark Paine


	14. Chapter 14

**_The sound of shoes echoing out on that road is still left in my ears  
Staring at my large shadow, I wonder if you still think about me_**

**First Love **

**Chapter Fourteen**

Youko rarely used his bed. Sometimes he would sleep in it but that was rare. He would rather sleep outside. His love of nature surpassed almost everything. How could he not love nature? He could control almost any plant he wanted.

Youko would only use his bed when he needed to think things through, or even not think at all. Sometimes he brought a female home to sleep with. Which, he added as he sat cross-legged on his bed, arms folded across his chest, hadn't been for a while. There were plenty of women he could seduce but for some odd reason he wasn't in the mood.

Hadn't been for weeks. It was sad and pitiful. This had never happened before so he didn't know how to handle it. He had tried to fix it by going out and finding a strikingly beautiful woman but it would always end with him not taking the offer that was handed to him on a silver platter.

His thoughts were interrupted though, when he found Kuronueand another one of his thieves burst through the door, a woman clad in an expensive kimono with her head bent was supported by one of each of their arms while her wirsts were tied behind her back.

"What's this?" Youko asked, a brow rose toward Kuronue as he stood from his bed.

Kuronue smirked. "Well, we just got back from an expedition and we found this pretty thing right before we left. It's a present, you've been looking a little lonely." He let go of her arm, as did the other theif, and she slumped forward.

Youko's observed her disheveled hair and disarrayed kimono. She must have tried to put up a fight. He could smell the lingering scent of blood and tears and watched as she slowly upturned her face, her eyes widened when their gazes connected.

"It's you," she whispered so softly that she could barely hear it but both Youko and Kuronue heard it as plain as day.

Kuronue looked questioninly at Youko but the kitsune didn't meet his gaze. "We'll leave you two alone." He soon left, quickly followed by the other thief who closed the door behind them.

Kagome's heart was racing. Youko, who she had dreamed about every night for months, was standing right in front of her.

She could almost cry.

Her eyes followed him as he walked behind her and soon found her wrists free from their bindings. She brought her hands in front of her and gently tried to soothe the pulsing sensation away.

She could still feel his warm presence and felt his tail lightly brush her bare shoulder from where her kimono had fallen.

Looking down at herself she notice how dirty she was. But more importantly, she noticed the dried blood on her kimono.

Her heart stopped and the memory of what had transpired hours ago came back. Within seconds Kagome's mouth trembled and she now found herself crying. Falling forward, she rested on her hands and knees.

"Why…why did they kill Akihiro? Why did they bring me here?" The tears feel rapidly from her eyes and her breathing became ragged. The image of Aki's bloody body came back and she placed a hand over her mouth and tried to calm herself but quickly succumbed to darkness as she passed out from exhaustion.

Youko caught her before her head could hit the floor and he picked her up bridal style. She was light and very pale, he noticed, and wondered what exactly had happened. He would have to wait until she woke up to get his questions answered from her point of view, so in the mean time, he placed her on his bed and let her rest. For now he would go to Kuronue.

Leaving the sleeping girl on his bed, Youko disappeared down the steps and found Kuronue not far from his tree.

As he approached his friend, Kuronue stood and turned to look at him and looked surprised.

"You done with her already?" he joked.

Youko glared at him. His friend annoyed him sometimes. Changing the subject somewhat he asked, "What happened?"

Kuronue put his hands on his hips. "Well all we did was go to rob the estate and they put up a fight and we couldn't just leave without some action so we killed a few humans and took the women."

Youko turned and looked around him and noticed that there were quite a few women walking around before turning back. "Did you know you killed a lords son?"

"Oh no!" said Kuronue, sarcastically surprised.

Youko shook his head. "You've really outdone yourself."

Kuronue smiled at his comrad before he barked out a laugh.

* * *

Kagome felt extremely warm when she woke up but did not open her eyes. It wasn't the kind of warmth that was unbearable, but rather made her feel safe and very comfortable. Something she hadn't felt in a while.

Pushing herself up she looked down and then around her. She was in a rather large bed with very comfortable pillows and covered in fur…probably fur from demons Youko had killed….

Sitting up Kagome observed the room while adjusting the kimono she had been in for what seemed like forever.

The room was basically empty other than the bed, a rug and some flowers that produced light from above her and around the room, which she had never seen in her life. The floor and walls were wood and there were some vines that came in and were covered in small blue flowers. It was magical but Kagome couldn't find herself being amazed at the moment.

What would happen to her now that Akihiro was gone? She could never go back to his estate. Who knew what was lurking there now, it was probably empty and Kagome knew that some demon would make it their home.

Would they keep her here? Maybe they would let her go home although she wouldn't exactly mind spending more time with Youko…

What would happen to his family and such? Her biggest fear was that Akihiro's father would look for her and end up coming here and killing everyone in a fit of rage. She didn't want that. As heartless as it was, she didn't want Youko to be killed.

Letting out a breath, Kagome rested her head in her hands before rubbing her face. Sighing she looked up and saw Youko standing before her and her eyes widened. She hadn't heard anything…and why was he looking her up and down?

Looking down at herself with a full blown blush she noticed that one of her breasts was almost fully exposed, for all the world to see and she gasped before wrapping herself in her kimono more tightly.

"You pervert!" she screamed at him as she inched away from him.

He looked her straight in the eyes. He had seen many breasts in his lifetime but he had never seen such a reaction and it intrigued him. "You will be staying here until further notice," he said unfazed.

Youko watched the woman's expression change somewhat as she narrowed her eyes and then tensed.

"What about the other women? Will they get hurt?" she asked fearfully. She had already lost Akihiro, she didn't know if she could bear to lose anyone else…especially if they had Tamaki-san.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "That's for them to decide."

Kagome's eyes widened at his reply. For them to decide? That was not the answer she wanted to hear and what was that supposed to mean? She turned away from him with worry.

What kind of a situation had she gotten herself into?

* * *

Much shorter than the last chapter, I apologize. I think the next one will be a bit longer but anyway, tell me what you thought! 


	15. Chapter 15

_**I know you can hear me  
I know you can feel me  
I can't live without you  
God please make me better  
I wish I wasn't the way I am**_

**First Love **

**Chapter Fifteen**

That night had been filled with uncomfortable silence and after hours of trying to sleep and being unsuccessful, Kagome rose out of the bed and wandered about.

The wooden floor felt nice under her feet and surprisingly (or maybe not) didn't make any noise as she walked around. Pulling her kimono tightly around her she retied her obi and Kagome found herself entranced by the vines full of flowers that came into the room.

It seemed that her life was full of flowers. Everywhere she looked Kagome found herself surrounded by them. Although Youko was scary at times, it seemed he had a certain spot in his heart for flowers.

Her eyes lingered on the bare walls in between the vines until she got to a door. It was the door that had led her here. She couldn't remember her thoughts as the demons had dragged her up the steps but she was glad they had not brought her to a jail. She was equally grateful they had not raped her like most men would have.

Glancing to the other side of the room, Kagome spotted yet another door and before thinking twice about it, walked over to it and opened it. She was met with another staircase but this time, not as long as the other and she was able to see the beautiful cherry blossoms. Curious, Kagome headed up the steps and expected to be surrounded by the branches but she was met by something almost completely different.

It was like another level of this…tree house. Branches weaved through each other above Kagome's head so thick that only air could pass through while the floor was unexpectedly flat.

But when she looked to the farthest part, she spotted Youko lying down on a bent branch that fit his resting body perfectly. He looked…beautiful and unguarded as he lay there; moonlight shining on him to give his skin and earthy glow.

He unexpectedly opened his eyes and she jumped, causing her heart to quicken its pace.

"W-What are you doing here?" she stammered, embarrassed she had been caught staring at him.

He looked at her with indifference. "Resting."

Kagome looked down at the wood floor. He must have been resting out here since she was using his bed. Her face became flushed but was soon cooled when a chilling breeze passed her. "I would have slept out here. You didn't have to let me use your bed."

It looked like his gaze softened somewhat when she met his eyes again. "You would have likely frozen to death because you are a human. I, however, am not affected by the breeze as much as you are."

She looked to the moon quickly, breaking away from him. "Its beautiful out…I've never felt this close to the moon before."

Youko didn't bother saying anything and Kagome was glad. Although that quickly changed when her heart began to race as he stood up and walked until he was right in front of her.

The pounding of her heart could only be heard in her ears and for a moment it felt like he was going to kiss her…giving Kagome her first kiss. They were only standing a mere few inches away from one another and he was looking right at her.

The thought left as soon as it had come when he moved and walked around her and back down the steps to the room.

She felt compelled to follow him but instead she stayed right where she was for some time, mind becoming blank while she rested a hand on a near branch. Looking back towards the moon, Kagome unknowingly let a smile play on her lips.

* * *

Kagome woke up rather refreshed the next morning while still in Youko's bed. He was nowhere in the room but she quickly pushed the covers away from her body and once again tightened the kimono and almost ran up the steps to the roof.

Unsurprisingly he was there again, eyes closed and looking peaceful. She moved closer to him as quietly as possible and this time he did not wake.

Feeling another gust of wind, Kagome shivered and before she knew it she was back down in the room and grabbing a blanket.

_I know he said that he was a demon and couldn't feel it…but I can't help it._ Turning back around she gasped loudly, blanket falling from her hands to pool at her feet.

The demon that had kidnapped her and had killed Aki was standing in the corner of the room.

Her eyes widened when she saw him smile and she instinctively moved back until she hit a wall. "What are you doing here?" she asked shakily.

His eyebrows rose. "I've just come to see my friend, this _is_ his room after all. Where is he?"

Her eyes somehow ended up narrowing at him. "Youko…is your friend?"

She was surprised…or maybe she shouldn't be. Kagome knew that Youko was also a killer…but Youko had never killed anyone close to her. This demon, however, had Killed Akihiro right before her eyes.

He looked at her a little more closely now and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes. We've known each other for a long time. How do you know him?"

Tears filled her eyes as she listened to him speak although his words didn't register in her mind. "Why did you kill Aki?" she asked sadly.

Had she heard a thing he had said? Obviously not. Kuronue sighed heavely. "If I had not killed him, he could have killed me."

A tear slid down her face and at seeing that, Kuronue sighed once again and scratched his head, not knowing how to react. He was never good in dealing with women's emotions. Usually he ignored it like he was doing now.

Just then, Youko walked down into the room and looked between Kagome and Kuronue.

Kuronue didn't miss the suspicion in his eyes and meerly smiled at his friend before quickly leaving. He didn't want to get his friend mad. That wouldn't be good at all.

"What did Kuronue want?" Youko asked almost immediately after the other demon left. His gaze bore into Kagome's.

She tried not to let him intimidate her but it was useless. "He just wanted to talk."

Not bothering to pry any furthur he nodded towards a plate full of food, which Kagome's gaze followed, and then left through the same door Kuronue had gone through.

He walked down the steps rather quickly than he usually did and was met by Kuronue at the bottom.

"So how was she Youko? Any good?" asked Kuronue.

He was answered only with a glare and Kuronue momentarily thought he would suddenly be set on fire.

"Ahh, I'm just teasing Youko! That's not why I wanted to meet with you. The thing is, is that the father of the guy we killed the other day is now at war with an opposing lord and will probably lose. But that's not the only thing." He paused and looked around to see that no one was listening and continued. "It seems that he is also looking for his dead sons fiancee, the woman you have in your chambers."

Youko didn't bat an eye at the news nor at Kuronue's raised eyebrows as he nodded.

But for some reason Kuronue mistook his expressionless face for something else and continued. "Don't worry Youko, in a few days they'll think shes dead and she'll be all yours!" with that he turned and left.

So they were looking for her. Youko was sure this place would be impossible for them to find so Kuronue was right, they would think she was dead in the next few days or so.

But what if they didn't and kept searching for her?

His thoughts left him as he stared up at the sakura tree that held Kagome at the top.

* * *

Sorry its been so long since an update. My new dog actually punctured my index finger and it was basically dead for two or three weeks and it hurt really bad.

I hope you all liked this chapter although it was another short one but tell me what you thought! I'll try to make the next one really long.

Until next time,

Dark Paine.


	16. Chapter 16

**_I want to go to where you are,  
_****_clenching my small hands  
I want to cry, it was such a beautiful sky  
I tried silently wishing on a shooting star  
But I won't cry, the wish will go through,  
_****_into the beautiful sky..._**

**First Love **

**Chapter Sixteen**

Kagome sat alone in Youko's room for a generous amount of time after the kitsune demon had left. She still felt emotionally drained from her little conversation with the dark demon. She knew one of them had to have died…but she still wished it didn't have to be Akihiro.

Now that he was gone, there was an empty feeling inside of her that made her feel depressed. Maybe that empty part of her wouldn't even have been there if she had done something to stop the fighting…maybe then Akihiro would still be here.

But she hadn't done anything and that made her all the more frustrated with herself. She would never forgive herself for being weak and not being able to do _something_ for him in return for what he had done for her all the months she had lived with him.

She would live with this for the rest of her life and she knew it, whether she forgave herself or not was still up for debate.

For now, she would take it day by day and try to heal. Kagome had no intention of staying around the dark demon by alone but she knew she would see a lot of him since she was staying in his friend's room.

Standing up, she walked to the door which she didn't lead to the top of the tree and opened the door. After taking a deep breath, she began her long journey down the steps that seemed never ending.

When the steps ended Kagome came to yet another door and pushed on it. The light from the sun quickly filled the doorway and Kagome had to squint her eyes before she got used to it. She stepped out of the tree warily, she had not left the tree and so she didn't know what to expect.

The door closed silently behind her and she was left to stand-alone and looked at what was around her. Demons that looked mostly like humans yet still had their demon traits were all over the women around them. Some, Kagome recognized, were from Akihiro's estate. She watched as some women tried to get away from their seducers while most of the others strangely enjoyed their attentions. One woman in particular caught Kagome's attention; this one was trying to get away from the male demon that was currently trying to rip her kimono from her body.

It was Leiko.

Even though Kagome was not on good terms with Leiko and had never been, she still didn't like the fact that the demon was trying to molest her even though Leiko was telling him to stop.

Swallowing her fear, Kagome stomped angrily over to them, fists clenched. After a few seconds of standing in front of them fuming, the demon who looked almost catlike finally turned his gaze on her and raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

His eyes were large and his pupils were slits, the most catlike thing about him along with his tail.

Leiko turned and looked at Kagome, the frightened expression still on her face, mouth hung slightly open.

"What the hell do you want?" asked the cat demon harshly.

His voice sent a shiver down Kagome's spine and she had to bite her lip to not tremble. She was starting to get second thought about coming over here but she knew she had to help Leiko; it was the right thing to do after all.

"What do you think your doing?" asked Kagome quickly, trying not to let her voice crack.

The cat demon cracked a smile, letting a fang show as he turned back to Leiko and ran his finger down her face. Leiko winced.

"I'm just having a little fun. Why do you ask?" he turned to look back at Kagome. "Are you jealous?"

Kagome's eyes widened and she blinked a few times. Jealous? What the hell. "Are you crazy? You're disgusting and you shouldn't treat Leiko like that so let her go!"

The cat demon stood up to his full height, and with his muscles flexing, he towered over Kagome while Leiko scrambled to close her kimono, which she held tightly together with her hands. He looked down at her in anger. "Excuse me?"

Kagome's tough demeanor fell but she looked him straight in the eye. "Umm…"

"Watch yourself Younho." The voice seemed to come out of thin air and both Kagome and the cat demon turned to see the demon Kagome wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Stay out of this Kuronue. I'm going to teach this bitch a _very _useful lesson."

Kuronue crossed his arms across his chest and shook his head. "You wouldn't want to disrespect one of Youko's guests now would you? I don't think Youko would appreciate that very much…"

Younho narrowed his eyes at Kuronue. "What are you talking about bat?"

Now it was Kuronue's turn to glare at Younho as he let his arms fall to his sides and walked over to stand close to Younho and was successful at intimidating the cat demon. "Watch your mouth kitty or I'll rip every limb from your body. Now get out of my face."

They stood toe to toe and their glares were not broken until Younho finally backed down and turned, his tail twitching in frustration. "Fuck you Kuronue," he said and disappeared to the other side of their camp.

Kuronue turned to Kagome to ask if she was all right but he was cut off when Kagome quickly walked to the other girl's side and bent down.

"Are you alright Leiko?" Kagome asked gently, reaching her hand out to place it on her shoulder but Leiko shrugged it off harshly and turned her gaze on the concerned girl.

There were tears in Leiko's eyes and Kagome's heart broke.

"Of course I'm not alright you fool! If it wasn't for you, we would never be in this mess!" she spat out. "While you seem to be happy and at home here most of us are being abused and raped! Did you plan to have Akihiro-sama killed just so you can come back to your demon lover?!"

Her words cut Kagome to the core and her hand fell limply to her side and she looked down, tears also starting to form in her eyes. She had no idea what had been going on and it hurt Kagome. But what hurt most was that Leiko actually thought she had planned to have Aki killed.

Before Kagome could reply to Leiko, Kuronue spoke up. "This women had nothing to do with our raid on the estate. She was brought here like the other women and yourself."

Leiko turned her gaze away from both of them and tried to calm her ragged breathing.

"I'm so sorry Leiko…I had no idea that this was happening…please forgive me," begged Kagome through her tears and bowed low on the ground, forehead touching the dirt floor.

Leiko's angry eyes felt horrible to Kagome. "You disgust me!" she said fiercely before she spit at Kagome and then stood up and walked away.

Kagome watched the raven-haired girl disappear and buried her face in her hands. _I'm so sorry…_

Kuronue's voice interrupted her thoughts. "It's not safe to wander around alone. Maybe you should go back to Youko's room until he gets back."

She let the bat demon help her up and didn't even care that he walked her all the way to the doorway until the door closed behind her.

When Kagome heard the door click shut she let the tears she had been holding down her face and slowly made her way up the steps.

_I wish I never went with Akihiro. _

He had been nothing but kind to her and now he was dead and even though Kuronue had said she had nothing to do with their plans she still felt she had a part in the role. All because of the fact she knew Youko.

If she had never met either of them she would be back home right now working day and night to help her family and not have to blame herself for Akihiro's death.

Reaching the top, Kagome placed her hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath before slowly opening the door.

The sight that waited in the room made Kagome's jaw drop.

There, standing by the bed, was a shirtless Youko. His muscles taunt and his silver hair covering most of his back. He turned his gaze on her and she gasped before slamming the door in front of her.

"I'm so sorry!" apologized Kagome from the other side of the door. She couldn't think of anything else to say and expected him to yell at her since she had not knocked on the door and caught him dressing. She crouched down on the steps and waited for him to say something.

"Come in," called Youko from inside the room and Kagome felt herself shiver as she placed her hand on the doorknob once again and turned it.

He still looked the same and Kagome blushed, quickly trying to wipe off the tears as fast as she could while closing the door behind her.

She looked up and saw Youko facing her so she lowered her head again, not able to take his intense gaze.

The moment Kagome heard Youko approaching her she began to panic inside and she squeezed her eyes shut as she backed up as far as she could until she hit the wall.

She could feel the heat from his bare skin and it gave her butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't used to him being so close to her.

Kagome opened her eyes and saw him lift a hand and felt it rest on the wall beside her head and soon felt his other clawed hand rest against her face and raised her face until his golden eyes were locked with her wide blue ones, all the while wiping away the tears that had fallen.

"Youko-"

His lips came down on hers almost gently before she felt him lick her bottom lip causing her to gasp. Taking the opportunity given to him, Youko slipped his tongue into her mouth and deepened the kiss.

His body came to press firmly against hers and she could feel the whole length of his body. It made her tremble to know that he could crush her with his arms that were now around her waist and the other deeply woven in her hair but it also aroused her.

She had never been kissed in such a way in her entire life. Kagome knew Youko must have thought her to be a horrible kisser but he had no problem taking the lead and helping her.

When they finally parted Kagome was panting and Youko gradually turned, his tail brushing against her stomach sending a spark of arousal through her body.

"Don't spend a lot of time with Kuronue." It was more of a command than a request and there was something different about his voice...something more sensual about it. He turned his head slightly in her direction. "If you don't obey me, there will be a consequence."

Kagome's eyes widened when he turned to fully look at her.

"Do you understand?" he asked.

Before she knew what she was doing, Kagome was rapidly nodding her head and was able to squeak out a "Yes!"

"Good."

And with that, he disappeared to the top of the tree.

Kagome let her shaky legs give out and she sank to the floor, heart racing. Now that he was gone and she was by herself, she was able to calm her breathing. Placing her hand on her heart, she felt something under her kimono and placed her hands between the folds and pulled out the red rose that she had kept with her the whole time she had been there.

* * *

Youko crossed his arms over his chest. Even he himself could not explain what had just occurred or why it had happened.

What could have possibly caused him to kiss her? It wasn't like him to lose control. Especially over a human.

But this human, he knew, was different in his eyes. There was something about her that drew him to her and he couldn't help himself.

Maybe he had done it because she had smelled like Kuronue and with the scent being on her, he couldn't stand it and it had made him angry. So the only solution to that was to cover her in his scent from head to toe. Which he had accomplished successfully.

It was for the best after all. She was a human in a very populated male demon place and even though she could probably not smell the full extent of his scent, the other male demons could from a mile away and they wouldn't even chance looking at her.

In away it was his way of keeping her safe. She was after all, given to him and what was his was his and he would keep it and no one could take it away from him, not even his friend.

He was not good with sharing and he would not try now. He actually did enjoy her scent and her company and he was not willingly going to share it.

Youko's childish thoughts made him laugh slightly but soon his childish thoughts were justified when he remembered her enticing body that he found he could no longer resist. She was by no means the skinniest woman he had encountered but her curves were enough to cause him to lose his cool. The way he had kissed her had proved that and he now found himself picturing her in a kimono and looking at him with a lustful gaze and he knew he would be the only one to see it.

Glancing down at the door, he realized he would take her into the town where he was well known and get her the kimono he pictured her in.


	17. Chapter 17

**If you could only see,  
Your heart belongs to me.  
I love you so much, I'm yearning for your touch.  
Come and set me free,  
Forever yours I'll be,  
Baby won't you come and take this pain away**

**First Love**

** Chapter Seventeen**

Kagome awoke when she heard the slight knocking on the door. Eyes shooting to the door Kagome said shakily, "Come in," and almost relaxed when Youko walked through the door. Almost.

He didn't bother closing the door behind him and walked to the edge of the bed. "Get ready, we're going to be leaving soon."

Kagome looked at him suddenly, worry written all over her face. "What do you mean leaving?"

His gaze seemed to soften, "We're just going to the market, nothing to worry about. I just thought I'd give you some time to get ready since I didn't think you'd want to be seen in public like…that."

She looked down at herself and realized how messy she looked and that she was still wearing the same kimono she had on since she came here. "I can't really help if I look a little bit messy, I don't have any other clothes to change into…"

"We'll get you some at the market."

His statement surprised her a bit. She hadn't actually thought he would do something like that for her. She gave him a sincere smile and bowed her head, "Thank you!"

He turned and made for the door, "I'll be downstairs waiting, try not to take so long." And with that he left.

After rubbing the remaining sleep from her eyes, Kagome stood from the bed and stretched her arms. It wouldn't take long to get ready at all. The only things she needed to do was straighten out her kimono and fix her hair and after doing both, she put on her sandals and descended the long staircase until she reached the ground. She could only hope today wouldn't be a repeat of the day before.

As promised, he was waiting for her a few feet away from the door looking off into the forest, ears going in all directions to listen to the slightest noise. Without having to say anything to get his attention, he turned to look at her.

"Ready?"

She nodded her head and they began to walk out of Youko's little hideaway. They weaved in and out of trees and stepped over rocks until Kagome found herself walking on a dirt road.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. It was nice to finally be out of that place, even if for a little while. The fresh air was lovely and Kagome felt herself relax under the suns light.

The weather was changing fast with every day. Winter was coming soon and Kagome knew first hand how cold it was when she lived with her mother and Souta. This winter would be harsh on them.

"Youko?"

He turned his head to look at her.

"Do you think we could get some blankets and clothes for my mother and brother? Winter is coming and they don't have much…" her gaze fell to the ground as if she had asked too much of him and would get a scolding.

"You can get them whatever you think they need."

His words brought tears to her eyes and she had to wipe them away with the sleeve of her kimono quickly before they fell. "Thank you so much!"

He didn't bother to reply but kept walking.

Maybe today wasn't going to be as bad as Kagome thought?

* * *

Kagome stared wide-eyed at the picture in front of her. It was a regular market…but the people…. and demons were everywhere. There were creatures Kagome never thought she would see selling things…both beautiful and treacherously ugly. There were couples everywhere too and it made Kagome blush. Most of them were either both human or both demon but some were mixed. There were even children running around and women carrying babies.

"This is one of the few places where you can see both humans and demons coexisting peacefully. There aren't many fights and when there are, they stop pretty fast. It's only been recent where there has been an enormous amount of fighting between humans and demons."

Kagome turned her gaze on him. "Do you think anyone would try to fight with us?" She knew Youko probably had a bad reputation, especially from her experience at the festival with Hojo.

Youko turned his head and his golden eyes fixed on her as he said confidently, "That is highly unlikely."

They walked into the market and Kagome was immediately assaulted with the smells around her. Some were very sweet and pleasant while others almost made her want to throw up.

They stopped at a vender and Kagome was able to look at the beautiful arrangement of kimonos that were displayed. Her eyes immediately went to the white with pink flower pattern and she turned to Youko as she pointed to it. She turned hopeful eyes on him, "Can I get this one?"

He nodded his head. "We'll take that one."

After the old man was paid and they received the kimono, they turned to walk again and search. During their journey, Kagome was able to get two big blankets for her mother and Souta, a few new outfits and some food for them. She also got four other kimonos. One was white with pink flowers, another was red with a black and red obi with leaves and flowers as its pattern, another was green with peach and white flowers and the last was blue with a golden obi and with white, blue and golden pattern.

She couldn't help herself when she saw the flower patterns. She did feel like she got carried away while shopping but when she asked Youko if it was all right and he didn't object.

Feeling hungry, Kagome turned from Youko as he bought something and slowly walked away from him only to spot a very familiar stand. A Tako Yaki stand. She knew exactly where they would be eating today and turned to tell Youko.

"Yo-" she was cut off when she came face to face with a demon. A demon that looked more human like others. He had black hair tied up into a ponytail, revealing pointed ears that closely resembled human ears. He wore a fur headband and he had blue eyes. His clothes consisted of more fur with a black breastplate on top.

He gave her a fanged smile, "Hey there pretty lady, what are you doing all alone?"

Kagome was frozen to the spot and couldn't move. Why did this kind of thing always happen to her?

"Wh-what do you want?" asked Kagome shakily.

He stepped a little closer and she could feel his breath against her cheek. "Since you're not here with anyone else, would you like to come along with me?"

Before she could blink she felt something move in her kimono and there was a flash of red before she heard the demon cry out in pain. He cursed loudly, and tried to gasp for breath. His lurched his neck back and Kagome saw that it was the rose she had been keeping in her kimono and was now digging its thorns into this guy's neck. She could only watch with wide eyes.

Suddenly Youko was at her side, arms crossed over his chest as he gave the other demon a frightening glare. "What do you think your doing, Koga?"

When he finished his sentence the flower released him abruptly and somehow flew back into Kagome's kimono. Quickly grasping the flower, Kagome found that it was back to the way it had been, a normal rose and sighed before returning it to its place.

Both she and Youko stared at Koga while he caught his breath, tiny trails of blood slid down his chest from the wounds the thorns had inflicted. "What do you mean 'What am I doing'? Who are you-" and the words stopped dead on his lips when he stared up at Youko. His eyes widened for a split second before the returned to normal and he stood straight up, massaging his wounded neck tenderly. "Ah, its you, Youko! Long time no see; I wasn't expecting you to be here! In fact, why are you here?"

His attention was fully placed on Youko, not even bothering to pretend that Kagome was there anymore. The demon looked down at the bags in Youko's hands and raised an eyebrow.

"It is none of your concern why I'm here, what are you doing here? We aren't expecting you any time soon," came Youko's icy voice that would have made Kagome shiver but seemed to have little effect on the demon.

"Well, I just though I'd spend the day having fun," at this he shifted his gaze at Kagome who shielded herself behind Youko instinctively. "But, I think I've had enough for now, so I'll catch you later!" He saluted them quickly before he turned into a small tornado again and disappeared in the parting crowd in seconds.

Kagome could tell by the look on his face and the way his eyes never left the trail in which Koga had come that the other demons visit had made him angry even though it wasn't evident on his face. She could feel it.

She placed her hand on his arm, "I found a place where we can eat, I'm a bit hungry and I've had the food before and I'd like it if you would try it!" she tried to make her voice seem as if nothing had happened and she gained an almost surprised look from Youko when he turned to face her.

He nodded his head and she lead him over to the Tako Yaki stand and while he stood a couple of feet away from her, arms crossed, she ordered two sticks of regular Tako Yaki. Surprisingly the man at the stand said it was on the house and even though Kagome persisted on buying it he said otherwise and she eventually gave up and quickly turned up a smile when she approached Youko.

"Here, I'm sorry to make you wait but you wont regret it since this is probably one of the best treats you'll eat!"

He peered at her from the corner of his eye. "Why are you so happy?"

She looked down and blushed, "No reason." It was a lie and she was pretty sure he knew it as well as she did. She was happy for a reason. She wanted him to calm down and for the tension in his body to disappear and it looked like she was slowly making progress.

They walked as they ate and it appeared that Kagome had been right. He liked it and when he was finished, he threw the stick carelessly into the forest, it was after all a piece of wood so nothing could hurt itself with it.

As they found themselves in a more forestry area, Youko stopped and turned to his right as the most beautiful yet shocking thing happened.

Out of nowhere two huge flowers appeared and opened to full bloom, both appeared to be roses except much larger than the one she had in her kimono currently.

Then, Youko proceeded to put their bags into one rose and the ones for her family in another.

"What are you doing?" asked Kagome when she saw the strange flower close and then disappear into the ground.

He turned swiftly to keep walking and Kagome had to jog to catch up after she finished her food but held onto the stick.

"The kimono's will be at the three when we get back while the things you bought for your family will go straight to their house."

She stared at him wide eyes. "How do they know where they are going? They don't have eyes do they?" she suddenly pictured evil flowers with menacing eyes and quickly shook the image out of her head.

He turned to look at her slightly, "I control them."

"But wouldn't you need to know where the location of the places are?"

He crossed his arms over his chest and his ear twitched with slight irritation. She asked so many questions but he would rather have her keep talking then be stolen away by another demon.

The thought slightly irked him. He felt a certain possessiveness over her when the wolf demon Koga had appeared and he felt the need to immediately get rid of him. He wasn't used to this and he knew that Kagome had been the one to spring it.

"I know exactly where both places are."

His words made Kagome's eyes widen with realization. He knew _exactly_ where she lived? How was that possible… they only met rarely in the woods….

Unless he had actually watched her in her village….

Hope suddenly filled Kagome. Had he been looking after her this whole time? Is that how he always came to her rescue? She smiled tenderly to herself; it felt good to know that someone could have been looking out for her.

Youko's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Why do you still have the rose?"

A blush found its way to her face and her heart started to beat wildly. Of all the things to ask her, why had it have to be that? Should she lie to him and say it was pretty or actually tell him the truth? After taking a breath she said, "I kept it because it was from you."

She didn't expect him to stop suddenly and turn to look at her the way he did. It made her heart stop at the look he gave her. "You kept it because it was from me?" he asked the question as if he didn't believe her, but not the happy kind of unbelieving, the kind where it seemed as if he made her out to be stupid.

It made her frown. "Yes…why is that hard to understand?"

He turned around and started to walk again. "It's just a flower and a human wouldn't usually go near something a demon can control. If I had wanted to, I could have had it do more damage than it had done to Koga."

His words made Kagome's heart sink and for a second she felt herself shake and it wasn't because of the cold breeze that passed. Instead of letting his words get to her she brushed them off and asked another question. "Koga? Is that the demon from the market?"

There she went again with her questions. The never-ending questions. But at least they were better than walking in complete silence.

"_Koga_," Youko started with complete venom in his voice, "is the leader of a wolf tribe who will be coming to stay where we are since they have new information about a few things that interest me." He turned off the road and began walking on a trail through the forest and Kagome nodded her head and followed.

When they were back at the camp (or maybe it was his home?) he paused to turn to her again and said, "It seems I will have to watch you closely since it seems he has some sort of an attraction for you. He might even try to steal you."

Kagome looked at him with disbelief. A demon liked _her? _But no one liked _her_. She was just a poor village girl, nothing special yet Youko thought another demon liked her…one that she didn't feel the same way about. But what she also couldn't believe that Youko actually seemed a little worried that he might try to take her away.

Was he starting to care about her?

She smiled brightly at him. "Okay."

She followed him as they pasted demons and some of the women who had been taken from the estate and past all the little homes that surrounded the large tree until they found themselves in his room.

Surprisingly enough the Kimonos were right on top of the bed. Looking at them beautifully lain out made Kagome feel a little dirty.

"Is there a hot spring near here?" she asked curiously. The need to wash herself and put on something new was overwhelming.

"There's one very close." Without saying another word Youko walked to the wall that was covered in vines to reveal a door that opened once he pushed it slightly. He motioned for her to follow and she did. They walked down another staircase until they finally came to a spacious hot spring that had somehow hid in the tree.

It amazed Kagome how such things could be possible. She had no idea people could fit in trees no less have a _hot spring_ in one.

Steam rose from the clear water that was surrounded by a stone wall and there were even windows further up in the tree and made Kagome idly wonder just how far down they were. There was a chair that held towels and next to it were things to clean herself with. "It's beautiful," spoke Kagome, "thank you."

She expected him to take the hint and leave but when he didn't move Kagome started to get nervous. "Are you going to leave? Because I don't know how it is for demons but usually the boys in my village would leave the girls alone while the bathed…."

He grinned and moved closer to her. "I don't see any little girls or boys here, do you?"

She shook her head.

"In that case I'm not leaving."

Kagome's heart stopped instantly and her mouth hung open slightly. He couldn't possibly be serious could he? No one had ever seen her naked and no one would unless she was married to them and even then she didn't exactly feel comfortable with that. "But-"

He walked over to the chair slowly and picked up a towel. "I'm not going to leave and you should get used to this. After all, it will be like this for a while."

Youko wouldn't budge. It was true after all that she would have to get used to this new arrangement. He couldn't have that damn wolf running off with her and the blush that spread furiously across her face made him smirk.

"Then can you at least not peek?"

She took the towel from him and he thankfully turned around. And after making sure there were no mirrors around in case he was a pervert and did try to peek she quickly undid her obi and let her kimono fall to the floor in a heap then swiftly wrapped the towel securely around herself.

She quickly walked, actually ran to the water and made sure the water was up to her neck before she said, "Okay, you can turn around."

He did and for a few moments their eyes locked. Then, to her horror, he began to strip. "What are you doing?" she asked desperately, the blush turning and even deeper shade on her face. She watched, mesmerized as he kicked off his shoes and then slowly took off his shirt. His muscles flexed with his movements and she couldn't help but stare. When his hands started to push down his pants reality hit and she turned around with a squeak and shielded her eyes.

If anything could have possibly made Kagome feel even more embarrassed, the moment she heard Youko come into the water she almost wished she could die right then and there just to get away.

"There's no point in watching you take a bath while I could join you."

He spoke the words so confidently and it made Kagome shiver even though the water was hot.

Before she knew it she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist and felt him pull her into more shallow water to sit between his legs, her back against his chest.

Her heart beat wildly and she could her the pulse in her ears while her breathing slightly quickened. Her eyes were wide as saucers when she felt her exposed shoulder touch his chest.

Kagome's breathing stopped when she felt his hands come up to remove her smaller ones that had a death grip on her towel and the most amazing thing happened. She felt his very large and very strong hands come up to cup her breasts where her towel had once been and which was now only covering her more private parts.

She let out a small shriek when she felt his breath against her ear.

"I have to protect what's mine don't I?" he said huskily, nuzzling the side of her face while he started to massage her breasts.

Kagome let out a sharp gasp. No one had ever touched her in this way before and all Kagome could do was sit extremely still, her mind was going in all directions and she felt slightly dizzy when Youko started to kiss her neck, grazing his teeth against her neck at one point which caused her to moan softly.

She felt something hard press into her back and her mind came out of its dizzy state instantly. Instinctively she ripped herself out of his embrace and whirled around. "Wait a minute!" She was breathing heavily as he looked at her questioningly.

"What is it?" he stood up and Kagome moving away and clutching the falling towel around her desperately. Thank god the water covered his…thing.

"I'm not ready for this!" and without saying anymore, she rushed out of the water in probably the most ungraceful way possible, grabbed her kimono and left through the door to run up the stair and slam the other door shut.

Her mind was racing and she felt her shaking legs slowly give out so she slid to the floor in her wet towel looking like a mess. She pressed her hand to rest over her heart and blushed at the thought of his touch.

It just happened so fast and Kagome hadn't known how to react at all since this kind of thing had _never_ happened to her. But when she felt his…her blush darkened. When she felt it, it had suddenly set her mind straight and she ran away. She silently congratulated herself for it but a part deep down told her maybe she shouldn't have.

Shaking her head furiously she found the strength that had left her moments ago and stood up. A lot had happened today and all she wanted to do was change and go to sleep and hope Youko wouldn't try to touch her.

At least now something was obvious. He seemed to like her just a little.

Well…maybe more than just a little.

* * *

Youko relaxed in the warm water with his arms resting on the wall behind him with an amused expression playing on his face.

The scent of her arousal when he had touched her had ignited his own and she had run away from him.

But what could he expect? She was a virgin and was not experienced in that field.

She was untouched and his for the taking. He would enjoy teaching her many different things but one thing was for certain.

No one would touch her in that way other than him and he'd kill anyone who tried.

* * *

Yay for me. 


	18. Chapter 18

_**I want to go to your side, even if just for a little while  
**__**I love you most of all, it's stayed a strong feeling  
**__**I tried silently wishing on a shooting star  
**__**But I won't cry, the wish will go through, into the beautiful sky**_

**First Love**

**Chapter Eighteen**

Dried and now dressed in a beautiful dark blue kimono that Youko had picked out, Kagome looked at herself in the mirror. It was trimmed with gold that went well with the blue and had light purple circles spread all over it. The elegantly looking kimono was held together by a nice light blue obi that really brought out the rest of the kimono's colors. Kagome had to admit the color did look very pretty on her and the big plus about it was that it wasn't like her other kimonos. All her others had flowers on them or some sort of plant while this one had shapes.

Today, Kagome thought as she hurried down the steps, was the beginning of hopefully a few days where she would avoid Youko like the plague and try to not think about what had happened.

She would try not to think of his hands on her body or the heat that had spread from her toes to her face that wasn't a cause of the hot spring. She would not think about the way he smelled or how oddly safe she felt in his arms or his…

Kagome shook her head vigorously trying to clear her thoughts. She succeeded to an extent and now she was left to wonder what would have happened if she had not ran out. Women Kagome's age and sometimes a year or so younger were already married and pregnant in her village. And even though Kagome wanted a family, she knew she wasn't ready for one yet. It amazed her how the women and her village handled all that. They probably wouldn't have reacted the same way Kagome did when she was with Youko.

She didn't know where she was headed when she finally reached the ground. She looked around and saw many male demons walking around and moving things or coming back from wherever they had been. She almost screamed when she turned and came face to face with Kuronue.

"What's on your mind?" he teased with a suggestive grin.

Kagome felt a small surge of fear in the pit of her stomach even though she knew he wouldn't hurt her or else be killed by Youko himself. But just the sight of him brought back some thoughts of Akihiro and what he had done. There would always be a part of her that feared this demon.

"Umm," she fought to find an answer that didn't involve Youko. "How are Leiko and Tamaki-sama doing?"

Kuronue knew the game she was playing and raised an eyebrow. "They're both doing fine. How are you?" he pressed.

She looked down with a slight blush, her heart slightly picking up its pace. She needed to get away from him before she turned into a tomato. "I'm doing fine…" suddenly, she looked up at him. "Can I see Tamaki-sama?"

She heard him sigh and close his eyes for a moment before he looked at her again. It seemed he had given up. "Yea, you can see her. Just follow me." With that he turned and she followed. He led her through groups of men and she made sure to keep her gaze down and didn't bother to meet anyone's gaze as they weaved in and out of people until they came to a small hut.

"She's in there," he nodded towards the structure.

"Thank you."

Pushing the deer hide that was used as a door aside, Kagome spotted Tamaki sitting on the floor peacefully mixing something in a pot that was over a fire. The sight brought tears to her eyes and she sniffled.

The noise caught Tamaki's attention and their eyes met. "Kagome-sama, dear, what's wrong?"

"Oh Tamaki-sama!" cried Kagome as she ran to the woman and embraced her. The tears flowed freely now and she felt the old woman pat her back.

"There, there dear, why are you crying? Have you been mistreated?" she asked earnestly.

Kagome pulled away slightly to look at Tamaki's face. "I haven't been mistreated…its just that…Akihiro…" Another wave of emotions came over her and Tamaki let Kagome lay her head on her frail shoulder and rocked the girl back and fourth.

"Its all my fault Tamaki-sama! If I hadn't gone with Akihiro none of this would have happened!"

Tamaki shushed her as she rocked them both side to side. "What are you talking about? Akihiro's death had nothing to do with you and it would have happened if you weren't there, now get those thoughts out of your head this instant!"

Kagome shook her head wildly against Tamaki's shoulder "I cant! I just…I could have done something to save him, Tamaki! But I didn't…I didn't do anything!"

The old woman's arms tightened around the crying girl. "Kagome…There was nothing you could have done without hurting yourself or even getting yourself killed…You cannot, will not blame yourself for this anymore. We all need to move on and accept it even though we feel we cant. It will pass soon, Lord Akihiro would want that. He wouldn't want you mourning his death! He protected you didn't he Kagome? He protected you so you could live your live and enjoy it, not cry and feel depressed!"

Kagome lifted her head again, her puffy red eyes locked with Tamaki's.

"Don't you agree?" asked Tamaki.

Kagome nodded her head, which brought a smile to Tamaki's old face.

"Good, now I don't want to hear anymore of this because its time for dinner. I've been making this soup for hours and now we can both enjoy it."

Sliding off of Tamaki and slightly away, Kagome watched as the woman scooped some soup into two bowls and handed her one.

"Wait a minute for it to cool off and then have a try. It's got some beef and vegetables in it so it's very healthy."

"Thank you Tamaki-sama."

"How many times do I have to tell you that you can drop the 'sama' off of my name? There is no need for that here," said Tamaki before she lifted a spoon full of soup to her lips, blew a few times on it, and then ate it. A grin appeared on her face, "This is wonderful! How do you like it?"

Kagome returned her gaze to her bowl and quickly scooped some up and blew on it once before tasting it. It was very hot and Kagome knew she had burnt her tongue slightly but she tried to not let it show. Tamaki was right, this tasted very good. With a smile Kagome turned back to the old woman, "This is great Tamaki!"

The old woman laughed slightly, "Well I'm glad you like it, most of the men around her love my cooking."

That brought a surprised expression across Kagome's face. "What? You cook for them?"

Tamaki laughed again. "Of course! Who else would feed these men? And it gives me work to do so I don't mind it at all, I'm never bored."

As if on cue, two demons came through the door, not bothering to give Kagome a glance and headed straight for Tamaki. One of them had a long, catlike tail that matched his white ears while the other had a puffy white tail and large rabbit ears that were brown. From what Kagome could tell, the cat was a male while the bunny was a female.

"Hello Tamaki-san!" they both said cheerfully.

Tamaki turned happy eyes to them and grinned. "Why hello there Ai and Taro! What brings you here?"

Ai looked at Taro, "Well, I smelt your wonderful cooking and wanted to know if you'd let us have a bite."

"Of course!" Tamaki grabbed two more bowls and began to fill them to the very top. "Have as much as you want!"

The demons looked at Tamaki with thankful eyes, "Thank you Tamaki-san!" And after receiving their bowls they bowed, stood up again and left, never once looking at Kagome.

"Those two are regulars; very sweet."

Kagome brought her attention back to Tamaki and smiled. "I see."

They sat in silence until Kagome finished her bowl that Tamaki took. "I don't want to keep you waiting and I'm not sure if your comfortable with other demons yet, but a few might be coming soon so you might want to be on your way. You can visit me whenever you want at any time, Kagome. Do not be afraid to talk to me."

Kagome nodded and they both stood. "I want to thank you again Tamaki…for everything." She bowed deeply before Tamaki and only looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"We will both move passed this soon. We have to be strong and never give up. Lord Akihiro would not want us to cry for him."

Her words gave Kagome a new sense of warmth and security as she stood up straight. There was one last thing Kagome wanted to ask her. "How is Leiko?"

Tamaki let out a slow sigh. "She's quite the character and I have to admit she was very troublesome when we came here, but ever since she started to talk to Kuroune, she is slowly relaxing and there should be nothing for you to worry about. She'll get used to this in time."

Nodding her head, Kagome gave Tamaki one last hug before leaving.

Walking out into the sun made Kagome's eyes narrow until they were able to get used to the brightness.

She felt better talking to Tamaki. The old woman helped to take some of the blame off of herself and she would be forever grateful to Tamaki. The rest of the healing had to be done by Kagome now and no one else. A piece of why she was feeling a little better now was because she knew that Leiko was doing better. Kagome would never get rid of her accusing glare or the bitter words she had spoken, but Kagome still hoped that Leiko could somehow forgive her.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted the source of what was slowly healing Leiko and walked towards him. He looked at her questioningly and she bowed. "Please take care of Leiko." When she stood back up, her eyes glistened with unshed tears and she fought to hold them back as she smiled.

Kuroune's eyes widened slightly and he rested a hand on her shoulder. "I will."

That was all Kagome needed. She knew she would never heal Leiko and to know that the demon that had killed Akihiro was now healing Leiko let Kagome ease slightly in his presence. With a nod, Kagome turned and walked through the crowd, not sure of what she would do next.

She knew Youko had told her to stay close to the tree or him when he was around but…the tree was getting so boring because…well because it was a tree and even though it had its mysteries, Kagome needed to get out. Maybe she would find a nice meadow or some place to rest by herself for once and get away from the smell of male demons.

Kagome didn't have time to think of anything else, a small tornado suddenly was straight for her. The same tornado from the market.

And when that small tornado stopped, the same demon appeared and Kagome's eyes widened for the small fact that Youko wasn't there to protect her.

The wolf demons fur still ruffled from the wind of his own tornado and when it finally stopped, his eyes went directly to hers and he raised a brow. "I remember you," he said confidently. He stepped closer to her and looked her up and down. "You look prettier now than the last time we met."

Kagome blushed a deep red and gasped when his hand came forward to take a strand of her hair. Her heart raced, eyes pinned to his face as he brought his nose to her hair and sniffed. His eyes closed before opening to lock with hers. "Beautiful," he breathed, giving her a fanged grin.

"Youko is very lucky to have you…" he straightened. "You should leave him and come with me. I could take better care of you." He looked at her suggestively and Kagome gulped.

"We meet again, Koga."

Kagome jumped and whipped her head and found Youko standing right beside her, eyes turned on Koga threateningly. She hadn't even heard him walk up to them…he was so fast…or maybe she didn't hear him because her heart was beating rapidly in her ears?

She glanced between the two, watching them carefully.

"Kuroune," snapped Youko.

Kagome looked all around her and didn't see him until his form suddenly appeared beside Youko, facing their little triangle of people.

Youko kept his gaze on Koga. "Escort the wolf to the conference room."

Without hesitation Kuroune walked over to Koga and swung him in a different direction by the shoulder and pushed him slightly, ordering to follow him gruffly.

The hostility Kagome felt in the air was almost suffocating. And over what? Her? Maybe something had happened before she met up with Koga…?

In any case she turned to Youko and tried to lighten the mood. "Thank you."

He turned to look at her and her grateful statement seemed to work. "Lets go."

She followed him through the thick crowd that seemed to be thickening every day and followed him into the tree again. And she had been so looking forward to getting out of this place today…

They walked up the long staircase and when they reached his room he finally looked at her. "You are not to leave this room until I come back for you." His voice was stern and demanding. "That's the only safe way for me to watch you. I don't know what Koga wants with you but even though Koga has a few members of his pack here, he has more spread out right beyond our territory in case something were to go wrong…or if he had told them to take something."

His tone surprised Kagome slightly. He had never talked to her like that before and his sudden protectiveness of her scared her slightly…but it also made her feel safer and she held onto that. "Okay, I'll stay."

* * *

Youko looked down at the woman before him who only came up to his shoulder. What a nuisance that wolf was for annoying both of them. Kagome wasn't listening to his directions while Koga was trying to take her while he was supposed to be protecting Kagome.

She slightly irritated him when he found her walking out alone.

But what really ticked him off was that wolf. It seemed that whenever Youko turned his back on the girl, Koga would be ready and waiting to take her off.

It was good he was faster than the wolf.

"Okay, I'll stay."

He looked down at the ground angrily as he walked, never missing a step. Why had she not listened to him the first time? They wouldn't have had to do any of this.

In any case, he had to leave her again and hope that she would stay where she was in one spot. He however, needed to go to the conference room that was in a building away from his home, which he was grateful for now.

On another note, he had not missed the fact that she wore the kimono he had picked out and he smiled to himself. Tonight would be very eventful.

Reaching the building, Youko opened the door and walked in to the front of the room. Everyone was gathered around him and he spotted Kuroune in the corner before he began this little meeting.

"What is it you all wished to talk about?" asked Youko icily to the crowd. There were two groups in this building, Youko's men and Koga's men. It was a good thing Youko's outnumbered the wolves.

He peered around the room and his eyes locked on a figure that moved to the front.

Koga.

"The human Lord Hirohiko is slowly taking over villages and destroying them on a rampage," he continued even when Youko gave him a bored expression. "He will soon be on our doorstep ready to fight in the upcoming weeks. The man is going to every small demon village and killing them. The big rumor why he's doing it is because of his sons death and he's in search of the fiancée since her body was never found…I wonder why he would care about the fiancée?" The wolf looked at Youko thoughtfully.

"Its probably for revenge," spoke Youko, looking away, crossing his arms across his chest.

"If they were to attack us, would you help?" asked Koga, his fist against his chest.

Youko brought his golden gaze back to the wolf, still looking bored. So the wolf wanted help did he? Wasn't his pack big and strong enough to handle them? Why was this dog begging him? "I will, but if you are selfish and try to take something of mine," he said icily, eyes narrowing into slits, "there is no chance we would help you."

It seemed Koga took the hint since his cheeks slightly turned red and he had to compose himself for a moment before he answered. "Agreed."

"Good." Youko made to move but the wolf stopped him again.

"Would it be alright if our pack could stay the next couple of days like we agreed on to rest?"

Youko regretted ever agreeing to such a thing for such a thing and begrudgingly nodded his head as he walked past Koga. "Kuroune will show you to your rooms."

When he reached the door, Kuroune was at his side and Youko leaned towards his friend. "Have them as far away as possible," he said softly before he shut the door behind him.

His strides were long and fast as he made his way back to the sakura tree. He paused to look up at it. He had created this beautiful site after years of using his magic and forcing energy into it to make it as large as it was now. To think this beautiful tree held such a sweet surprise in it.

The tension he felt now, after that repulsive meeting ruined the moment for him and continued up the stairs and when he closed the door behind him in the room. He saw her lying on the bed on her side and walked towards her to sit on the bed beside her. Brushing a damp strand of hair away from her face he noticed a wet trail left by a tear on her cheek.

He would wait for another time to take her, he thought to himself as he wiped the trail away softly, always being mindful of his razor sharp claws as to not damage her. It was obvious she wasn't emotionally ready for almost anything.

So, since he couldn't possibly wake her up, he set his mind to do something else.

Standing up, he walked around to the other side of the bed, pulled away the fur comforter and lay down to spoon her. The tension he felt before melted away as he let his arm drape around her waist and burry his head in her silky black tresses.

It seemed as though peace was finally given to him as he lay there with Kagome. He had not felt this content in over two hundred years and he was surprised that a woman could do this to him. And although he usually stuck to demon women, a human was a nice change in his book.

But to think that there was a possibility that Koga could come and do something to her when he wasn't around angered him. He growled deep in his chest only to be silenced quickly when he felt Kagome snuggle back into his warmth.

* * *

Warmth surrounded Kagome when she woke the next morning. Her mind was slightly hazy but she let out a low moan when she felt something massaging her breasts. It felt really good…. to have someone massaging…

Her breasts?!

Ripping her mind from the haze she looked down and found that a hand had indeed found its way into her kimono. Forcing the hand off of her chest, Kagome clutched the opening to her kimono with one hand and turned to look at who had been touching her.

Only to come face to face with Youko…who she had been trying to avoid like the plague in fear of these sorts of things.

Her mouth opened slightly as she watched his mouth turn up in a grin. Her mind becoming a little dizzy when she couldn't stop staring into his attractive eyes.

"Good morning."

His words brought her back to reality again and she pushed off of his chest to try and get away but wasn't able to move an inch because of the arm Youko had snaked around her waist. And instead of moving away from his chest, he brought her closer, causing Kagome's mind to go crazy and her body stiffened.

"You have to get used to this, remember?" he said, looking her up and down.

Kagome's eyes widened and she tilted her head to look at them together…in his bed. She blushed furiously. "Do I have to?"

His hand that belonged to the arm around her waist started to rub circles on Kagome's back. "You do, unless you like Koga." He said the wolf's name with such anger it sent a shiver down her back and she had to look away from his face.

If she were to go to Koga she knew something much more serious than this would happened very fast and Kagome shivered again before looking up at Youkos chest which was right in her face. Being with Youko was much nicer than the possibility of being with Koga and Kagome willed herself to relax.

Didn't she love this demon? Hadn't he always been on her mind before she started to live here? And how could she possibly act scared when he was finally giving her the attention she had always wanted?

She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt his grip tighten around her, causing her breasts the come flush against his rock hard chest. She could feel him with her whole body as he surrounded her with his scent and warmth. She felt his masculine chest against her soft one and she felt his tail wrap around her thigh to raise it so he could place one of his legs between hers. She thought his tail would release her but it stayed where it was while the very tip of it had a mind of its own and slightly tapped her.

The hand on her back continued to rub circles while he brought the other to play lazily with her hair. She glanced at his well-built arms with surprise. Those arms of steel could kill a demon with one swipe and Kagome was amazed at how soft they could be at the same time.

The feeling of his clawed hands lightly scraping her scalp as he played with her hair made Kagome sigh in content, letting her eyes close. This was something she really could get used to, she thought before she felt a slight nudge between her legs, sending a shock through her body at the same time she felt his tail tighten around her thigh.

She let out a squeak and raised wide eyes up at Youko who grinned at her.

A knock on the door diverted Kagome's attention somewhat and the grin Youko had been sporting before faded as his ears swerved in the direction of the noise.

Using this as her advantage, Kagome tried to move away, knowing she would be embarrassed when whoever it was came through the door, but Youko's steel grip never lessened and she couldn't move an inch away from their current position. To try and hide, she buried her head in crook of his shoulder.

"Come in." barked Youko, anger slightly laced in his voice.

The bat demon and Youko's friend for many years, Kuroune, walked through the doorway.

The fox looked up at Kuroune angrily while Kuroune looked down at the couple in surprise before grinning.

Youko glared at him. "What is it?"

Kuroune looked at his friend sheepishly. "Sorry to disturb you two, but some of our men have come back injured or killed and have some information about Lord Hirohiko." The name brought Kagome out of Youko's shoulder with a gasp and both males looked at her before the bat demon finished. "We'll be waiting for you in the conference chamber," he turned to leave them alone.

Once the bat was out of earshot Youko turned back to Kagome. "I apologize for making our morning short, but I promise to make it up to you later."

Stunned by his words, Kagome nodded dumbly, not knowing what else to do, but when Youko got up and disappeared down the stairs after Kuroune, she sighed with relief.

At least for now she would be able to avoid him. She stood up slowly, forcing herself to not think about anything as she reached for a towel that was laid out on a chair across the room. Walking over to the door, towel in hand she placed the chair in front of the door for extra protection even though she knew a measly chair wouldn't keep a demon out of the room, but it still helped Kagome feel a little more comfortable now that Youko was gone.

Running a hand through her hair, Kagome found herself missing his touch only to quickly shut the thought out of her mind. She trudged over to the other door that led to the hot springs and flung the door open and raced down the steps. Since she wasn't able to get a good bath the other night, now was her perfect opportunity while Youko was busy doing other things, there was a guarantee she would be left alone for a while.

Letting her sleeping yukata drop to the floor and after folding it and placing it on the chair, Kagome walked into the water and began to clean herself. For the first time in a while she was able to do things at her own pace and to relax in the hot water and when she was finally finished she felt rejuvenated as she left the water and dried herself off with the fluffy white towel before wrapping it around herself.

She picked up her clothes and went back to the room slowly. When she reached the room she made sure all the doors were locked and secure before she dried her hair with the towel that had been wrapped around her waist. In fear that someone might come in and see her naked from head to toe, she raced over to where her kimonos were kept and picked out a white with pink flowers and quickly dressed. Dropping the towel from her hair, Kagome caught sight of the bed where she had been earlier with Youko and blushed.

She still couldn't believe she had woken up to _that_ and that _that_ would be happening for the next few days…or until Youko said they didn't have to. She felt embarrassed just thinking about it but at the same time she had felt oddly comfortable.

Sighing, she began to brush out her hair.

* * *

There were five men before Youko in the conference room and from what they told him, two others were with the healer and three had been killed.

"What happened?" asked Youko urgently.

"We were ambushed by Lord Hirohiko," said the reptile like demon, "other demons have joined him, not just men now. That's why the men are hurt so badly."

The other similar looking demon spoke now. "They are all skilled fighters, even the old Lord Hirohiko. But from what we were able to discover, he is going to try and align himself with another Lord. It will take a while before they will be close to here but the men should still be on their guard."

Youko nodded his head. "Yes, I agree. You should both go and let the village healer look at your wounds."

They nodded their heads and followed their leaders orders, taking the other three members of their group with them, leaving Youko and Kuroune to stand alone.

"All this for a woman? What is so special about her?" asked Kuroune in wonder.

Youko didn't say anything to him but he knew the answer.

They just wanted to torture and eventually kill her in revenge.


	19. Chapter 19

_**I want you now baby, more than anything**_

_**You can't imagine**_

_**Believe me, believe me, there's a better way**_

_**Something wild and free waiting to happen**_

_**You gotta just wanna give a little faith**_

_**Need some reaction**_

_**Break down, now, break down the walls are givin' way**_

_**Break 'em down, come on now baby, gimme some passion**_

**WARNING! NAUGHTY STUFF HAPPENS (i.e. SEXUAL STUFF)! If you are offended or don't like to read naughty stuff, then I suggest you walk away. RIGHT NOW!!**

**First Love **

**Chapter Nineteen**

The walk back to his room seemed like forever as Youko walked towards the Sakura tree, not needing to weave through people since they moved out of his way on their own accord. He knew his men as well as people he had never met personally feared him whether it is by the fact he was a thief or the way he presented himself.

Either way, it worked out for him. He was rarely bothered, and if he was, it was usually by Kuroune. And even though Youko would try to intimidate him, Kuroune would only ignore it and continue to pester him. As for the other people, they didn't matter much to him.

But there was one person he didn't necessarily want to fear him…

Stepping into his room, Youko noticed two things immediately.

The first thing he noticed was that Kagome wasn't in the room. His bed was neatly made and nothing was out of place. He looked over and saw her clothes were also neatly folded. Those kimonos cost him a nice amount of money. He would need to make a place to hang them.

The second thing he noticed, or rather _smelt_ caught his interest and held it like a vise grip. He closed his eyes to inhale the scent that clouded the room and felt himself go slightly hard. Youko let a slight grin touch his lips. Her scent was very lovely and he almost liked it as much as he liked being surrounded by her.

The sudden image of Kagome's tears calmed him down instantly. He knew he needed to resist and he had barely pulled it off a few hours ago but he knew now that he could do it. At first he thought he would lose it walking in the door, but now, as he relaxed he could feel his strength against it returning.

He would not allow himself to misbehave. He wanted to ease her into the mood gradually then do it at the right moment. It would be better in the end if they did it that way.

Youko did not bother to move an inch before he knew he was totally in control of his body, and when he did move, it was to follow the intoxicating scent's most powerful trail that led him to her.

She was sitting on the floor outside of his room looking at the scenery. He would need to thank himself later for making his house have both an indoor and outdoor part. To add, this _was_ the only safe place for her to be alone outside without him, anywhere else and there could be a problem.

"Why are you up here?"

He watched her jump at his voice. She had not expected him to come here he guessed, before she turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were slightly widened, but soon relaxed. He had forgotten that humans couldn't hear as well as demons could. Youko made sure he wouldn't forget next time.

"I needed to get some fresh air. Being in that room for most of the day gets really stuffy." She blushed and Youko caught it.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Youko looked away in thought. There had to be a place where they could both go without anyone bothering them…

Moving across the wooded floor to Kagome, he helped her up with a hand. "Let's go."

She looked at him, startled. "What? Go where?"

He glanced at her, bored. "You'll just have to wait."

Kagome blushed at their connected hands as he led her though his room and down the stairs. Although she should be used to this kind of contact (because more than their hands had been together before), she couldn't hold back the thought that she was dreaming and that none of this was real, like the last time. She mentally smacked herself and decided to let herself enjoy this moment.

When they reached the bottom and left his house, he slowed his pace as they walked through the crowds causing everyone to stare at them. Why wouldn't they? The head of this whole place was holding the hand of a peasant girl?

Kagome made sure her eyes were glued to the ground and she never once looked up after she caught a glare from a woman, not even when she heard whispers.

But the memory of Tamaki's words came back to her mind and she forced herself, although slowly, to raise her head. She did keep her eyes locked on the back of Youko's head until they finally reached a path in the forest where there were no people and Kagome was comfortable enough to look around.

"Don't let what they say get to you." Stopping, Youko turned his head to look at Kagome. "They only say things since there hasn't been a raid in a while. Their words will die down once we go on one."

Kagome looked down, not able to meet his gaze. "I know…." _But I can't help it…_

When she finally gazed up, she found that he had begun walking again and after wiping the surprised look off her face, she jogged to catch up with him.

Their walk was silent and seemed to last forever to Kagome but Youko didn't look like he minded at all. She shouldn't have expected him to anyway, he seemed to love nature by the way he would even think about sprouting flowers and making huge trees and such. Even now it still amazed her.

As they came to the top of a hill they stopped and Kagome was able to finally look out at the colorful array of plants that lay at the bottom. Without thinking, Kagome found her feet taking her down to the sea of plants.

She didn't stop until she was a few feet into the flowers but when she found the beautifully colored blue flower surrounded by the many purples, she couldn't help but stop and gently touch it. Handling it lightly, it took her out of her trance and she glanced in her companions' direction and found him only a few feet behind her.

"Did you make these?" she asked, amazed.

He shook his head. "No, these have been here ever spring and summer for hundreds of years."

"If you didn't create these, why did you bring me here? I mean, its beautiful but…" It wasn't that she didn't like this place; it was just the fact that she would have expected him to show her something he made rather than something he didn't.

"You like flowers almost as much as I do."

His reply shocked her slightly, she wasn't used to a man that she liked caring about what her interests were. Yea, there was Hojo but she didn't like him as much as she liked Youko. Rising to her feet she turned to look at him and smiled. "Your right…thank you for bringing me here."

His tail and ears twitched slightly before she shifted and slowly walked through the field, holding her hands out to slightly brush the flowers. "How do you make the flowers? I know you can plant seeds, but you just make them sprout in seconds. How do you even control them?" she asked over her shoulder without stopping.

She jumped when she heard his voice suddenly; she hadn't even heard him move.

"Every demon has youki, a form of energy, that can be used in different ways depending on the demon itself. With my youki I can manipulate plants, forming them into any shape or object I want. I can even have them come to life in a barren wasteland that has tasted water for hundreds of years. How fast it works depends on how experienced the demon is and how much they practice."

Kagome could only nod her head at his explanation. Demons had some sort of energy that could be used to defend or kill things. To make things grotesque or beautiful.

"Do you still have the flower?"

She stopped abruptly and turned to see Youko standing right next to her causing her to jump.

"Do you?" he asked again, staring directly into her eyes.

Slowly, she reached into her Kimono, careful not to let him see her skin, and pulled out the red rose she always kept with her.

Taking it from her hand he kept it between them and watched as it grew three times the size of a natural rose. "Do you see? With the slightest amout of youki, I can change the size of any plant I want." After a few moments Youko transformed the rose back to its natural size and handed it back to her. Blushing slighly, she quickly put it back into her kimono.

Youko stepped forward slightly and their eyes locked. He was only a hairlength away and before Kagome knew what was happening, an enormous amount of wind pushed her forward causing her to fall onto Youko, hair wipping around wildly. She felt him wrap his arms around her and she closed her eyes from the intensity of the wind that was strong enough to pick up dirt and little rocks.

When the wind storm finally died down, Youko released her and she was able to look around them, only to see huge thick green trees that didn't actually look like trees….

"What happened?"

Youko nodded his head towards the sky and she looked up. To her surprise, all the flowers that seemed to have been beneathe them moments before, were now towering above them like threes. Her mouth opened in a little 'o' as her eyes darted around.

"I can control the shape and size of any plant I wish." Spoke Youko, not bothering to look up. It wasn't the first time he had done this, the only thing different was that he was not killing anyone with them.

After a few moments of looking at the huge flowers, they slowly began to shrink until they returned to their originally size. Kagome's eyes returned to Youko's. They gazed at each other for a moment before Youko released his grasp on her.

"Thank you for taking me here," said Kagome after a few silent moments. Even though she was blushing like a tomatoe she hated the silence that seemed to ring in her ears.

She saw him look at her briefly before turning away nonchalantly.

Turning forward, Kagome saw the setting sun and started walking towards it, arms spread slightly from her body. She inhaled the fresh smell of flowers and nature. It was true; she loved nature almost as much, if not more than Youko.

She had always taken comfort in nature whether it was to get away from something or to just relax and sight see. It was such a peaceful place that you need not worry.

"Its good to be in the fresh air," she said to herself, unaware that her companion had actually heard her. Feeling weightless, Kagome let herself fall back onto the ground and closed her eyes to relax.

She heard the soft footsteps coming towards her until she felt him sit down on the ground to her right. They didn't speak, but instead enjoyed the silence together, which seemed to happen a lot, which also did not bother them one bit.

Kagome glanced up at Youko and wondered what he was thinking. It was times like these where she wished she had some sort of special ability to read peoples minds…

…But maybe it was best if she didn't as she thought more into it. She would probably hear things that would make her want to cry and just wish she never heard. Especially if she read Youko's mind.

"What's going to happen now?" asked Kagome.

Youko glanced at her. "Koga and his pack are going to be staying here for a few days because of the attacks."

Kagome sat straight up, facing him entirely. "What attacks?" Why hadn't she heard anything about it? If it was about her…

"Its nothing to worry about." Was his curt reply.

"But if he was attacked…"

His piercing eyes met hers. "It was small and it happened as they traveled. They're just going to stay here and wait until they get bored and then they'll leave."

Kagome turned away. "Are you sure?" she couldn't help but feel he wasn't telling her something.

"I'm sure. There is nothing to worry about."

Sighing she closed her eyes and saw flashes of images from the attacks on Akihiro. Now that Akihiro was gone, all she had left was her family…

"Youko?"

He turned to look at her.

"Would it be all right if I were to see my family soon?" she asked softly, pleading. She knew she was sort of a prisoner…but she didn't exactly feel like one.

He took a moment to answer her before he spoke, "After Koga leaves we'll go."

Her eyes widened when he said, "we'll" as in _they_ will go.

As in Kagome and Youko will go see her family.

Just the two of them.

Alone.

The thought of it just being the two of them made Kagome feel a little nervous yet at the same time, she felt excited. To think, she would be able to see her family, with him, in a few days.

"Thank you."

It seemed like she was saying that a lot these days. In fact, she knew she was. He had done so much for here since they had met.

And she was very greatful.

As they sat and silently watched the sun set, Kagome thought about their relationship.

It was complicated. They were not official but they liked each other. Or at least Kagome knew she really liked Youko, but she wasn't positive if he liked her also. She knew he must like to be around her since he was always there with her and he did like to…touch her and kiss her.

But he had never said anything to confirm it. Never said that he liked her or loved her or anything like that. She knew she had started to like him very fast so maybe it took demons longer?

If that were so, she knew it would be hard to wait but she would have to in order to stay with him.

To be with him…

It still surprised her that she was even sitting next to him. When they first met, she never thought she would be able to touch him or even be able to look at him again.

But when they started to run into each other often before she left to go with Akihiro, her thoughts sort of changed and she wondered if their meetings weren't just a coincidence.

She had even met with him when she stayed with InuYasha and Kikyou many times and to top it off, he had even given her the red rose she still carried with her.

It might have been crazy to think, but Kagome felt like they were connected not only mentally but in a way physically. And if the physical part ever ended, they would always be connected by their memories.

Kagome began to shiver as night fell upon them. The difference in weather changed dramatically from day to night and she was usually snuggled up in Youko's bed at this time.

She was only able to shiver once more before she felt strong hands lift her up and settle her in the warm lap of their owner. Her back was against his chest and in an instant she was tense and felt awkward.

Kagome knew she both hated and loved when he did random things like this. Sometimes she wished he would give her a warning though.

But when she felt his arms wrap around her, she melted both inside and out. She was wrapped in his unusually warm heat, which caused the cold air around them to be nonexistent.

When she felt him press his face against her neck she shivered from the sheer contact of skin on skin and before she knew it, he had turned her around to straddle him. At first she did not know whether or not to sit or support her own weight but when he pushed her down it didn't seem to matter anymore.

"That's better," he said huskily.

His lips met hers and all thoughts were flow out the window. At first, Kagome was too stunned to realize what was happening, her eyes were wide open, staring straight into his eyes. He pressed his lips to her slightly harder and ran his tongue along her bottom lip causing her to gasp which let Youko take full advantage of her mouth. She felt him explore her mouth while running his hands up her back and then down until he reached her backside.

To which he squeezed.

Kagome jumped back, mouth wide open just looking at him and not believing what he had done.

He gave her a devilish smile and played with her long black hair while she caught her breath.

When her mind finally registered everything and came back to earth, Kagome turned her flushed face away from him.

They had just kissed.

The romantic kiss.

And he had even…even…squeezed her butt!

She refused to look at him even when he turned her face towards him with a clawed hand.

"You don't have to be afraid of me."

It was probably the only thing he had said in a while that didn't sound nearly as cold as some of the other things she had heard him say before. She gave him a quick glance and eventually she met his gaze.

"We should get back," said Youko still staring at her intently.

There was something in his eyes that frightened her yet at the same time gave her butterflies. It made her want to run and want to get closer to him at the same time.

For now, all she could do was nod.

Their walk back to the big sakura tree was somewhat awkward for Kagome but it got even more awkward when the reached the campfires that seated Youko's friends or whatever he called them.

She expected all of them to look over and whisper to one another and laugh like when they had left.

However, most of them didn't even glace their way as they weaved through the fires. Instead they were laughing at each other's jokes or making out with the women that had been brought from Akihiro's estate.

Everyone seemed to be happy.

After silently making their way up the long staircase, Kagome and Youko found themselves in his room again.

Alone.

"Umm…" Kagome started, looking around nervously as Youko's gaze landed on her. "Would you mind going into another room for a minute while I change?" She turned around as if to make it a point to tell him to leave.

Instead of moving away from her, Youko came right up behind the jumpy girl and placed his hand on her obi that was tied in the back. "I'll help you."

Instantly her hands went up to the front of her kimono to keep it closed. "R-Really, you don't need to help me, I can do it just fine." She was blushing madly now and gasped when she felt him tug at the knot.

Turning around quickly, Kagome placed her hands over his to stop him, pleading with her eyes.

To her surprise, his gaze softened. "Let me help you. I promise I wont touch you."

He said it with so much sincerity that her gaze seemed to also have softened as she turned back around, still clutching the front of her kimono even after Youko was able to finally untie the obi.

She felt him move behind her and before she knew it, his hands were over hers, trying to push them away.

When they wouldn't budge Kagome heard Youko speak. "You need to move your hands in order to get into your sleeping yukata."

She felt him bend and felt his breath brush against her ear, sending chills down her spine.

"I won't look."

Kagome's eyes widened and internally she was going crazy.

This was almost as bad as what had happened in his private hot spring. Butterflies were sprouting in her belly and she shifted before taking a deep breath.

This was decision time. Should she do it or not? He might be lying to her, saying that 'he wouldn't look'. But who knew? She didn't have eyes in the back of her head and there was a good chance he would see her butt. And he seemed very sexual….

Memories from the hot spring came to mind and she closed her eyes and tried to picture a happy place…a place far away from where she was.

But…if she didn't take this chance…then maybe they wouldn't get closer…. Brushing all thoughts aside as best as she could, she finally dropped her hands. "Okay, I'm ready."

She felt the soft fabric leave her body and her body to perked up from the loss of heat. Feeling self-conscious, Kagome covered her bare breasts by crossing her arms over them, trying to get some of the heat back.

When she felt him place her sleeping yukata over her shoulders she quickly placed her arms in its sleeves and tied it shut. She turned back around to face him.

She gave him a timid smile and before she knew it she was swept off her feet and in Youko's arms.

"What are you doing?!" she gasped, heart racing.

"We," he said hotly, "are going to bed."

She pulled back slightly to look in his eyes and she saw his eyebrows rise.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, pulling back the furs on his bed and placing her in it before pulling the covers over her.

Kagome's eyes didn't leave him and she felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Youko getting into bed with her.

"Wait…"

He paused for a moment at her request and looked at her. "What? I did say **we** would go to bed, didn't I?"

Kagome nodded her head. "Yes, but…."

To Youko, it seemed like he had given her more than enough time to get settled. He had never been this patient with a female before but for some reason he felt the need to with this one. And it strangely did not bother him.

He moved so that he was now spooning her, arms wrapped around her, legs tangled. "I also told you I wouldn't leave you while Kouga was here, didn't I?" he said softly in her ear.

Kagome agreed to herself that he had said those things…but there was other things on her mind also…it wasn't just the fact that he was getting into bed with her. It was something a little different.

Trying to ignore it and enjoy the time with him she turned to look at the wall and tried to enjoy his warmth that he gave her but…something was off.

"What's wrong?" she heard Youko ask behind her.

At first she felt the need to keep things to herself but eventually, after he asked her again she gave up.

"I'm just not used to this…and I wonder…why exactly are you keeping me locked up?"

She knew she had been brought to be a prisoner of some sorts and so she didn't know why it would be a problem if Koga were to 'steal' her from him… She knew she would hate it if Koga did that.

But why would Youko?

He took a moment before answering her. "You are not a prisoner…you are my guest."

At his words, Kagome blushed. His guest? At least it was maybe a step up from a prisoner…but… "Why?"

Youko pushed himself up and rested on his elbow, looking down on Kagome, his silver hair making a curtain to hide both of their faces from the rest of the world. "Are you in locks and chains?"

His question caught her off guard, "No?"

"Then you're not a prisoner. If you were, you would not be here right now."

That didn't really answer her question but she would let it go for now. When she felt him lie back down she asked him another question.

"Why is Koga here…I mean…why are his men wounded or…" she hated to say the word, "dead?"

Youko sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Why was she still worried about that damn wolf? They had already gone over this so it shouldn't matter.

Was that fucking wolf always on her mind?

"Like I said before, there is nothing to worry about. Its just a rebelling tribe."

Kagome turned her body fully around to face him. "Is that really it?" her eyes searched his to try and find _something_ that would let her know if he was lying or not.

"Yes."

It was simple and Kagome didn't see any change in his eyes as he said it but for some odd reason she just didn't believe it.

Youko looked at her with half lidded eyes and nudged her face with his until he was in the crook of her neck, taking in her scent.

"What are you doing?" She shuddered. It seemed like she had been saying that a lot these past few hours.

"Trying to get your mind off unimportant things."

She felt his arms and legs bring her closer to him until she was plastered to his rock hard chest. One hand was on her shoulders while the other was…

…on her butt.

And with a squeeze and a gasp, Youko took the chance to kiss Kagome.

He made sure to take his time and kiss her slowly because he knew that Kagome was a virgin.

And his for the taking.

Yes, he had said he would not touch her, but he would until she told him to stop and even then, he would make sure to pleasure her so much that she wouldn't ask him to do such an unthinkable thing.

Youko smiled against her lips as his hand went between both of them to move her legs apart to settle himself there.

At first, she put up a little fight but when he stopped kissing her to let them breathe for a moment he gazed into her doe like eyes and smiled. "If you want me to stop, all you have to do is say the word and I will."

Kagome stared at him for what seemed to be the longest time, only being able to concentrate on her heartbeat, which was now racing.

Was she really ready for this? This big step in her life?

She studied his face and remembered that she had always wanted to find a husband and be married before ever doing something like this.

Would he ever marry her? Did demons even know what marriage was to a human? Would they even spend the rest of their lives together, or would he cast her out after this?

Tons of questions popped into Kagome's mind in those few short moments they shared.

Girls her age were already married and pregnant or had a few children of their own. And even though Kagome was never the one to want to play catch up, maybe this was the right time and the right man to do such intimate things with.

She did love him after all and the time they spent with each other.

Taking one last deep breath she smiled up at Youko. "I'm ready."

That was all Youko needed to hear before he captured her lips in a fiery kiss, once again placing his hands between them to part her legs, only this time she complied.

When Kagome felt him settle against her, a shock went through her body and she could feel every inch of him.

She inhaled sharply when she felt Youko grind his hips against hers, making her feel just how hard and big he was. Her lower body responded by pushing against him as she let out a moan.

Kagome had no idea what she was doing but it seemed to be no problem for Youko who took the lead from the start.

He broke the kiss for a moment to sit up and remove his shirt from his body and Kagome couldn't help herself but to look at him.

His muscles were well defined on both his arms and chest but she never really noticed how attractive they were until now. It seemed like everything about him put Kagome's mind and body on a different level.

She let her eyes run down his body only to stop on the rather large bulge in his pants. _Oh god…_

To stop her from looking any longer, Youko crawled on top of her again before he bent his head down to kiss her again, licking her lips until she granted him entrance.

While their lips kept Kagome occupied, Youko decided to let his hands travel her body again until they came to a stop at her obi. Strangely, he untied it slowly instead of just ripping it off and when he finally started to open her yukata he felt Kagome freeze.

Their kiss was broken again as Youko pulled back slightly. "Are you alright?"

Kagome bit her kiss-swollen lips lightly. "Yes, its just…I've never…"

"Done this before?" he finished for her and she nodded. "I know, and we'll take it as slow as you want," he said.

When she nodded her head again, Youko gently placed his hand on her shoulder and began to remove her yukata, pushing it aside as his hand traveled the length of her body until she was bare beneath him.

He admired her body for what seemed to be millennia for Kagome until he once again pressed his body against hers, his face going to the side of her neck.

"You're beautiful," he whispered before kissing her neck.

Kagome felt herself melt at his words and timidly brought her hands up the caress his back.

Yes, she knew now that this wasn't a mistake and that she didn't need to worry about anything.

When he started to massage her breast, she let out a moan only to have it cut off by Youko's lips meeting hers. Just the feel of his hand on her had her writhing for more.

She felt his hands go to her back and left them both up so that he was on his knees while she straddled him.

Youko was careful not to scratch her with his claws has he kisses his way down her jaw and neck to the valley between her breasts.

When Kagome felt his mouth close over one of her nipples, she let out a loud moan as she gripped his head to her.

What she was experiencing now had never happened to her in her lifetime. It was so scary to her yet so good that she didn't want it to stop.

Heat pooled at the bottom of her belly as one of Youko's hands came between them once again to cup her.

Her head rolled back and she let out another moan before biting her lip when he started to move his hand back and forth while his mouth moved to her other breast and sucked hard.

Slowly, he set them back down on the bed and propped himself up on one hand, still kissing her, while the other removed his pants with the help of his tail.

When he came back down on her again, there was no more clothing keeping them apart. It was completely skin on skin and Kagome could feel his hot erection against her stomach.

She felt him leave kisses all around her neck and face before lifting his head slightly too look down on her once again.

"It will not be very pleasant the first time," he said as he picked his lower body up and off of hers while his hand went to her leg to prop it up.

"I understand," answered Kagome, not taking her eyes off of his.

With that, Youko lowered himself back down so that the tip of his member was against her entrance and managed to hold himself there until she nodded her head.

He pushed into her slowly and instantly felt her walls contract around him. They were both tense until he came to her barrier where he stopped once again.

Kagome's body wasn't sure if it wanted to keep him inside of her or force him out, in any case it was extremely uncomfortable and Kagome had to bite her lip to try not to cry out but her hands dug into his back and she felt her toes curl as he stretched her.

"Youko…" she breathed longingly, not sure of what she wanted from him.

And then it happened, within an instant.

Youko thrust himself through her maidenhood and covered Kagome's mouth as she cried out. He felt her tears against his cheek and felt her try to push him away but he stayed where he was and waited, trying to take her mind off the pain by kissing her.

When her nails ceased to dig into his back and felt her relax against him he released her mouth. Before today, he had never really known how painful sex could be for a human. Demon women usually adjusted within moments but it didn't look like Kagome would be at all for their first time.

Looking down at her tear streaked face; Youko brushed a clawed hand against her cheek. "Do you want me to stop?"

After a few moments and a few sniffles, Kagome shook her head. "No, its alright, I'm okay."

The truth was, it hurt like a bitch for Kagome. Every little movement and every little twitch hurt for her at the moment but she didn't come this far to just stop. She'd rather feel this pain now than never at all.

The pain was almost unbearable after both the first and second thrust but she tried to push the pain out of her mind after the third he was after all, trying to make it as comfortable as he possibly could but the pain just wouldn't go away no matter how gentle Youko was.

And it continued to hurt until with one last thrust, Youko spilled himself into her, kissing her fiercely as he growled low in his throat before he pulled out to lie beside Kagome.

The loss of body heat amazed her even though her body was somewhat glad to be free of him and yet...it still yerned for him to come back.

Wiping the tears from her face, Kagome let Youko wrap himself around her before taking one last deep breath and falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

Ok so they finally did it but I know it was horrible ahaha. That was the first 'sex' scene I've EVER written so forgive me for its crappy-ness. I promise the next one won't be as bad. 

I was kinda rushing this since I have not updated in lets say…a couple of months?

Aha

If you hate this story let me know and I'll take it off :D

If you love it though, leave some reviews to let me know if I should continue or not

Xoxo

Dark Paine

**edited it the ending ahah :D**


	20. Chapter 20

_I want to live, grasping tightly your little hand towards your place  
I want to cry, that was, that was a beautiful sky  
I tried softly reciting a wish upon a shooting star  
I want to cry, you won't reach my feelings in this sky..._

**First Love **

**Chapter Twenty**

Youko gazed down at Kagome's sleeping face with a slight frown as he remembered the previous nights occurrence.

There was no doubt in his mind that it had been more pleasurable for him than for her. He brushed a strand of hair out of Kagome's face. He had been with many different kinds of demon woman but he had never been with a virgin human before. It was a first and sloppy experience for both of them but Youko was determined to make the second time much more pleasurable for her. He had been too greedy their first time and felt disgusted at himself for it.

It seemed that the only beautiful thing about their lovemaking was the fact that she was now his and he smiled down at her at that.

_Mine._

He felt her shift against him and her breathing quicken. She would wake up in a matter of moments at her own pace; he didn't want to rush her.

Kagome turned over and snuggled into the warmth that radiated beside her, she started to move her leg but regretted it when she felt a jab of pain. Opening her eyes she came face to face with Youko.

"Good morning."

Her eyes widened as she realized what had happened a few hours ago. She blushed madly at the thought.

"Are you alright?" asked Youko, placing a clawed hand on Kagome's bare hip under the fur covers. He had not missed her wince but it didn't take a genius to figure out why.

Kagome's eyes looked down at her hand that was placed beside her head. "I'm in a little bit of pain…" she blushed again when she felt his hand rub her hip before making its way to her back and into her hair.

Their eyes met. "Forgive me, last night was not pleasurable for you," his hand brushed through her hair. "It was rushed and I apologize. Next time I will take my time."

Kagome smiled nervously.

He just apologized, something she had never heard him do before. It amazed her how far their relationship had actually gotten from the first time they met. She could have only dreamed of this before but now… now it was a reality.

And he was also talking about a 'next time'? Hopefully he wasn't thinking about doing anything with her today or maybe even all week. She was still sore and wasn't exactly in the mood to do anything but sleep.

Youko pulled her closer. There was something about this woman in his arms that made him want to be as close to her as possible. Was it her scent? The way she smiled sheepishly at him? Her blush? He didn't know why but there was one thing for sure.

He didn't mind it and he wanted more.

"Should we go and bathe?" he asked as he took her hand in his and kissed her palm, never taking his eyes off of her.

She smiled softly. "Yes, that would be nice."

He grinned and released her to rise from the bed and stood stark naked in front of Kagome who let out a small scream before disappearing under the blanket. She couldn't believe she had actually forgotten that he was naked for a moment.

"What are you doing Kagome?" she heard him ask right by her ear. She hadn't even heard him move.

"Umm…"

She could feel him tug at her only cover and grabbed onto it desperately before uncovering her head to look at him.

He was looking at her with a raised eyebrow as he bent over her, waiting for an answer. "Well?"

Her eyes went from his face to his bare chest and back up. She didn't want to look any lower. "It's just…umm…"

She then mumbled something to herself but thanks to Youko's sensitive hearing, her 'whisper' was just the same as if she talked loudly.

"I've already seen you naked," he stated plainly, causing Kagome to laugh nervously.

_How did he hear me?_

"So?" she questioned and Youko rolled his eyes as he straightened.

"You can keep yourself covered if you wish until we get down to the spring."

Kagome sat up and held the blanket to her chest and smiled up at him, making sure to only look at his face. "Thank you."

He extended a hand to her and after making sure the blanket was securely around her, Kagome placed her hand in his and let him help her stand.

The walk down to the spring was very awkward for Kagome since she was trying with all her might not to look down too far and see or touch any parts of Youko she wasn't sure she was ready for.

When they finally reached the bottom, Youko did not wait for her but instead entered the water before turning to look back at Kagome with a fanged grin.

Kagome's mouth opened slightly, realization dawning on her. _That pervert!_

"Come here."

His command was not rough but amused and Kagome frowned as he looked up and down her body.

She sighed. "Fine."

And with that, Kagome walked over to the spring and into the water, still covered in the fur from Youko's bed and it remained on until her body was totally submerged under water.

After walking over to the edge and placing the now soaked blanket on the side, Kagome turned to look at Youko and saw his ears flat against his head, looking at her with furrowed eyebrows.

She smiled at his expression. He did look rather cute like that.

"What?" she asked innocently before she dunked underwater for a moment to get her hair wet. The warmth of the water did help with the slight pain she felt and relaxed her muscles. She had always known it would hurt for the first time, she had heard it from girls her age or younger. It was common but Kagome couldn't help but wonder how women younger than her could actually face the pain, no matter how insignificant it was compared to a stab wound or something. Wouldn't they be scared, even just a little?

When she resurfaced, she came face to face with Youko. His eyes were gleaming with something she did not recognize.

"You don't need to hide your body from me," his arms snaked around her back and pulled her close, "I don't mind looking at it."

What Kagome had tried to avoid while walking down to the spring before, she could now feel full on. Bare skin to bare skin, there was nothing between them.

Youko bent his head and nipped at her ear, "I don't mind it _at all_." His tail came around and wrapped around her thigh and raised it slightly so his leg could go between hers as he dragged them to the edge of the spring.

When Kagome felt the cold stone touch her back she bit her lip at the slight sting of pain that came from both hitting the wall a little too roughly and the way Youko placed her let around his hip so she could feel…it.

She would not dare to look down but she knew it was there and ready for anything.

He brought his lips down to hers and ran his tongue along her bottom lip and when he was granted access, he deepened the kiss. He pressed himself against her, trying to get as close as possible, there was just something about this woman that made him go insane. Just touching her was intoxicating and he couldn't get enough.

His lips left Kagome's and kissed a line from her mouth down her neck. He heard her moan softly and he felt himself shiver.

"Youko-"

He stopped his pursuit abruptly, slowly taking his lips from her neck and resting his forehead on her shoulder. He had gotten carried away and hadn't even thought of her. Raising his head, his eyes met her startled ones and he grinned slightly. "There's no harm in touching is there? As long as there is no intercourse."

Kagome blushed and Youko pulled away from her. Even though they were already in a hot spring, having him so close had made her even warmer and when his body released hers, the skin that was exposed to the air had goose bumps.

"Come," he said, reaching for a bowl that rested on the side of the spring. He raised his muscular arm and let his long fingers dip into the bowl and scooped some liquid from it.

Kagome followed him and waited before he turned and addressed her.

"Turn around."

She did as she was told and after a moment, she felt the cold liquid on her head and shivered as Youko began to work it into her hair.

Kagome repeated the same process with Youko and when they were both bubbly they dipped their heads under the water and rinsed their hair.

Kagome giggled at Youko's 'wet dog' look after he resurfaced. He glared at her slightly before running a hand through his hair. "I think I've had enough of this bath."

Kagome nodded. "Yea, I'm starting to turn into a prune," she said, looking down at her hands with a slight frown.

Youko was the first of the two to make his way to the shallow part of the spring and out onto the rock floor. Kagome quickly turned around once she saw him rising and did not turn to look at him until he called her name.

He was holding a robe out for her while he was only clad in his pants as he gestured for her to come out. She did, although slightly embarrassed and when her body started to become revealed she covered herself and ran into the robe and rushed to get it around herself. After she tied it tightly, she turned and saw Youko looking at her incredulously again.

She smiled shyly, "Well I guess its time to go back up!" and with that, she took the steps two by two up the stairs, not bothering to wait for her companion. She had to admit though that the bath had immensely helped to ease the pain in her body.

She sat down on the bed and waited for Youko to come up, letting her legs hang off the edge of the bed somewhat. She smelt rather refreshing as she inhaled slightly. She still couldn't believe Youko had actually bathed her basically.

She let her head fall back slightly to look up at the ceiling. These kinds of situations had her still feeling a little sensitive because they were so new. Everything was fresh for her, nothing was routine now and she knew she would have to get used to it but she wanted to take it all in slowly.

An image of Hojo passed through her mind and she wondered how he was doing. She wondered if he was still doing well with medicines and such. Maybe he had even found a new girlfriend or wife? She had been gone for a long time now; she hadn't seen him in months.

She knew she missed him as a friend but that was all. If she were to go back, she only hoped that Hojo had moved on and that she was as far away from his mind as possible.

Moment out of the left corner of the room caught her eye. It was Youko with the fur comforter in hand. He glanced at her before he threw it down onto the bed and then let himself lay down next to her sitting form.

His hair was splayed out beneath him while his arms were stretched outward from his body behind Kagome. She felt a light tapping on her leg and looked down. It was his tail.

Smiling, Kagome gently placed it on her lap and began to pet it as if it were really alive. The feeling of his tail was extremely soft, even more so than the furs they slept under, and it tapped her lightly in satisfaction.

Just as Youko pushed himself up there was a knock on the door. Kagome's eyebrows rose while Youko looked at the door angrily.

"What is it?" asked her companion.

"Can I come in?" It was Kuronue.

Youko stood at this point and retrieved a shirt and after placing it on, he walked over to the door. Opening it slightly so that only Kuronue could see Youko's face he asked, "What do you want?"

The fox was a little irritated and refused to let Kuronue see even a glimpse of Kagome. He smiled. "I need to talk to you, it's important. I'll meet you downstairs."

Youko nodded and shut the door, turning back to Kagome. Why did Kuronue always have to ruin things? He didn't want to leave, he would always choose to stay near her instead of going to talk with his long time friend. But, it had to be done.

He eyed the girl a few feet away from him. She stared back at him with a slight grin on her face in understanding. "Kuronue and I need to discuss things, I will be back shortly." And with that, he disappeared behind the door.

Silence engulfed Kagome and she looked down at her hands and sighed. Why had Kuronue chosen right now, at this very moment to talk with Youko?

It didn't matter now though, Youko had gone and now she was left to herself. So, deciding not to wallow in disappointment, Kagome stood and went over to retrieve a yukata.

It was a pretty yukata, one of Kagome's favorites since it was blue and was covered in light blue and golden flowers, which tied around her with a golden obi.

After making sure it was tightly around her, Kagome tied her hair up into a ponytail and went over to the few steps that lead out to the outside area only to be assaulted by the cold breeze that swept through the forest.

It seemed that the temperature had dropped once again. Winter was coming and Kagome idly wondered how things would change from here on out because of the new relationship she held with Youko. She still couldn't believe what they had done exactly. It was so...surreal.

And what the heck would her mother think? Did _she_ even know about demons? What would she say?

She slowly walked over the large branch that acted as the protection between the end of the floor and the long drop. Resting her hands against the thick branch, she leaned slightly to look out over the other trees to observe.

Did she…did she know about Akihiro's death and what caused it?

Kagome rubbed her face with her hands. Would her mother hate her for not preventing his death? Would she hate her for loving Youko and not Akihiro?

No…right?

"There wasn't anything I could do…"she whispered to herself, "why does this still haunt me?" She released a shaky breath before letting her hands fall to her sides to lean against another thick branch.

The birds were chirping all around Kagome it seemed. She tried to find them above her but it was no use. It seemed that Youko had manipulated the branches to be a roof and Kagome smiled.

She didn't know how long she had been standing out there but when she felt something warm wrap around her along with a pair of strong arms the time didn't seem to matter. It still amazed her how quiet he could be.

"Isn't it too cold for you to be out here?" she heard him ask from behind her.

Kagome turned around in his arms to face him. "It's not so bad, but thank you for the blanket," she replied smiling. Tentatively, she brought her hands up to wrap around him while resting her head against his shoulder. "Why did Kuronue want to talk with you?"

He didn't reply as quickly as Kagome thought he would but he did nonetheless. "There are rumors of another rare treasure that Kuronue has brought to my attention. I will be leaving soon to get it."

Kagome lifted her head to look at him, eyes slightly widen before she looked down. "Oh…"

Youko's eyes never left Kagome's face even when she looked away from him. "Are you still in pain?" he asked.

Kagome blushed. "A little…" Why did he have to ask her about it? If he was trying to get her to stop thinking about him leaving her, he had a weird way of doing it. She turned so that her back now rested against his chest.

She felt his hand squeeze her hip. "Don't worry, it will feel much better the next time."

Kagome's eyes widened.

"'Next time?'" she whispered to herself. Oh that infamous 'next time'. It still gave her goose bumps.

"Did you really think we would only do it once in our life?" he asked her seriously.

Kagome's eyes stayed glued to the floor, butterflies seemingly sprouted in her stomach in a mad rush.

_Our life_.

She couldn't believe it. Youko had included her in _his_ life whether he realized it or not.

"I-I didn't know," she finally managed to stammer.

She felt his hands come up to rub her stomach, sending an electric shock through her body. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "You don't need to be embarrassed. Aren't you at the age…?"

She nodded dumbly.

Youko smiled into her hair. "Why don't we sit?" He could feel her slightly shiver and he wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to stand.

"O-Okay," said Kagome as she let Youko guide her into sitting in his lap on the ground.

She felt him poke at her stomach a few times before she found herself on her back with a gasp.

"Kagome?"

"Y-Yes?!"

"What usually happens after a couple has sex?"

_WHAT?_ Kagome's mouth opened slightly, "The girl usually becomes…pregnant."

She saw him nod and his hand was on her stomach again. "I don't think I will be able to tell if it's happened…"

Kagome remembered his words. _Don't worry, it will feel much better the next time. _"Wait, so you want to give it another try?" she asked in disbelief.

"Why not?" There was a hint of playfulness in his voice as he eyed her before bringing his lips down to kiss her.

It was one of those passionate kisses she had heard about when she had lived back at the village. She felt his tongue slide along her lower lip and she instinctively opened her mouth to let him in to deepen the kiss. At first it was a bit awkward but Kagome soon let Youko lead with ease.

When the finally parted for air, she felt him kiss her forehead before getting up, leaving her on the floor with the blanket.

"Where are you going?" she asked, catching her breath.

He turned to look at her, tail swishing behind him. "I've got some business to take care of. It wont take too long, I promise." And with that he disappeared.

* * *

Youko hated to leave her there. Especially after she responded so readily to his kisses. He loved to kiss her almost as much as he loved to touch her and as he walked through the crowd, he felt the anxiousness to get back to her.

It had only been while stealing a treasure he felt this feeling; the feeling to return and grasp it and never let it go. It thrilled him.

But he wouldn't let his anxiousness get the best of him at the moment. There was a reason he was down here after all and after looking through groups of demons he finally found who he was looking for.

"Ai."

The said female demon turned to look at him, ear turned in his direction before standing up abruptly after recognizing who exactly had called her name. "Y-Yes Youko-sama?"

Yes, his most trusted female fighter would do.

Even if she were a rabbit.

"I need you to watch Kagome while I'm gone, starting tomorrow," he said, eyeing her confidently.

"Of course!" She jerked her head up and down without hesitation, her large ears not able to keep up looked rather ridiculous.

He was in mid term when her voice stopped him.

"Does this mean Taro will be going with you?" she asked, looking him straight in the eye.

He nodded his head.

"I see…" she turned and gazed at the ground.

"And Ai," continued Youko. When she looked back up at him he continued. "Don't let Koga near her. If he tries anything, don't hesitate."

Figuring she had nothing more to say, Youko resumed walking, keeping an eye out for Kuronue all the while. When he didn't see even an inch of his long time friend, he guessed he should have looked in the conference room first anyway. It wasn't like Kuronue to be out with the others constantly in any case.

Finding his way to the small one room building, Youko opened the door and found his friend staring out the window.

Kuronue turned to look at him, "Well it took you long enough."

Youko didn't bother to reply, just walked over to a chair, pulled it out from the table and sat down. "What information do you have on this item?"

Kuronue made his way over to the table and stood across from Youko. Placing his hands slighly spread out on the surface he smiled. "Well, this item that I've found out about is a very rare one that costs quite a bit."

"Oh?"

At the sound of Youko's bored tone, Kuronue felt he needed to work a little harder to convince him. "There is only one of its kind…"

"So?" questioned Youko. "Just because there is only one, doesn't mean it's worth stealing."

Kuronue frowned, standing straight up and placing a finger to his lips. "Well, it is heavily guarded. Others have tried to steal it and have been caught. Oh and they were killed. Hmm. What else…" He glanced down at Youko and saw him in was looked to be a 'thinking' mode.

"You say no one has been able to get past the guards?" asked the fox.

Kuronue nodded.

"And how much do you think this item will be worth?"

"Probably thousands, if not more."

Youko stood at this point. "I want this to go as quickly and as smoothly as possible. No screwing up."

Kuronue's face lit up. "Of course. It will only take…maybe a week or so."

Youko sighed. "Fine."

"I knew you'd want to even though you pretended you didn't want to go!" laughed Kuronue.

It was true. Kuronue probably knew Youko better than most people.

"Kuronue?"

The raven haired demon ceased his laughing. "What is it?"

"Have you heard anything of Lord Hirohiko?"

Kuronue shook his head. "Not since the last time. As far as I know hes still trying to find Kagome."

Youko nodded his head in understanding.

"Does she even know everything that's been going on?" questioned the winged demon.

Youko's face was emotionless. "No. And I want it to stay that way."

Kuronue sighed. "That might not be such a good idea…you must be really starting to like this human girl in order to keep this just between you and me. And the fact that her scent is all over you doesn't help if you try to deny it."

Youko glared at him, not bothering to reply.

"Its ok, you don't need to admit it out loud." It was always fun to tease the fox. It didn't happen as much now as it used to and Kuronue made sure he enjoyed every minute of it.

Youko shook his head. "We'll be leaving tomorrow."

Kuronue barked out a laugh, "Finally! I'll get a group together and we'll meet you tomorrow."

* * *

Kagome had been restless the whole day. There was no way to stop it. She had walked around the room both inside and out for what seemed like forever but she just could not shake the feeling. Her hair was dried now, had been for a while and she now sat in Youko's bed again where he had first left her.

She tried to focus her thoughts and nerves on other things. Maybe something happy? Something that wouldn't stress her out…like flowers…some daisies maybe?

It didn't work.

What if…what if she actually became pregnant?

What if she was already carrying his child?

Her face turned red, hands immediately coming up to cover her face as she let herself fall back onto the soft surface under her.

_Why would he even want a baby with me?_ She asked herself. _I'm not good-looking and I'm not a demon woman. I'm just human._

There was also the question of _if_ she could even do it. Was it possible? She had never heard of a human becoming pregnant by a demon. Hell, she hadn't even known demons existed until that nasty thing had attacked her.

But there was a big question that nagged at Kagome in the back of her mind.

Would their relationship change?

She wasn't sure how demons handled pregnancy. Did the husband or male partner leave the woman to go to another because they became too big and didn't want sex as much?

Kagome let out an aggravated sigh. She shouldn't get herself worked up so easily.

Hearing the door open, her attention was brought to the figure that was now entering the room. It was Youko.

He walked straight over to her and climbed onto the bed next to her. Reaching out, he pulled her against his chest.

They stared at each other for a moment before he spoke.

"I'm gong to be leaving for the next couple of days," he saw her face fall. "Ai will watch over you and get you anything you need. She is very reliable and will not let anything happen to you." Or rather, let _anyone_ get to her.

She searched his eyes with her own. "Are you going to go and steal something?" It hurt her to say it. Hadn't they killed Akihiro while they were trying to steal something from him?

"Yes," he answered simply.

Her breath hitched. "Will you kill anyone?"

The arm around her waist tightened. "I don't know. It will depend if my life is in danger."

Silently she hoped that the people would just let him take whatever he wanted without trying to fight him. She had seen first hand what he could do and there was no way a mere human could survive it let alone try to escape.

"Do you usually kill people on these…trips?" she asked.

He shook his head. "The only reason why myself or any of my men kill is if they feel they are in danger of being caught or killed themselves. Why do you want to know?"

She looked down at his chest. "No reason."

Did Kuronue think he would get caught when he raided Akihiro's place? Did he think that Akihiro had actually stood a chance at killing him? Is that why he killed Akihiro?

Youko, seeing her expression sadden, decided to take her mind off of whatever she was talking about.

Running his hand through her hair, Youko lightly grasped the back of her neck just as he brought his lips down to kiss her. She opened her mouth without giving him the chance to ask and he deepened this kiss. He felt her small hands come up and touch his face as he rolled them over so that he was on top.

There was something in the way he kissed her that Kagome felt she needed to respond more feverishly to. She couldn't help it and she didn't want to stop it and when they finally broke she had tears in her eyes.

"I don't want you to go."

She reached around Youko's shoulders and hugged him to her, burring her face in the crook of his neck.

* * *

OMG IT'S BEEN FOREVER!

I hope you all liked all the fluff and stuff. There was a lot of KagxYouko stuff in here. But I'll be surprised if I have any reviews aha. To those of you who do review. You have my love! And I will keep trying to post more long chapters. This one was 14 pages in word :D

So let me know what you think!

-Dark Paine


	21. Chapter 21

_Once in a while  
You are in my mind  
I think about the days that we had  
And I dream that these would all come back to me  
If only you knew every moment in time  
Nothing goes on in my heart  
Just like your memories  
How I want to be with you here  
Once more_

**First Love**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

The ground beneath them was a blur as the small group of six traveled at an unimaginable speed. It was their third day away from their 'home' sort to speak and everyone seemed to be slightly on edge and annoyed.

None of them knew exactly how long it would take to get to their destination but Youko. He always knew a rough estimation of time it took for them to travel. Kuronue had always guessed that he knew because he 'talked' to the plants around them even without opening his mouth.

"How long is it going to take to just _get_ there?" Kuronue wined. "It's going to take even _more_ time watching the damn place before we can even raid it."

Youko turned slightly to look at Kuronue who was beside him. "Stop complaining, we'll be there in moments. This was your idea anyway." The glare he gave Kuronue was almost as scary as the ones he used to give him before and he played it off with a pout.

The kitsune was right. They reached their site in moments of Kuronue's complaint and the black haired demon could understand why Youko had given him that glare. He really should be more patient he decided with a sigh.

The 'site' of which they talked about was just a spot in the forest a few miles away from their real destination. This would substitute as their meeting place and where they would each sleep in the days of their watch.

Youko turned to the group. "We are going to split up into three pairs. Taro and Ryo you will watch the Eastern wall. Yoh and Takuma you will watch the Western. Kuronue and I will take the Northern."

He watched as all their heads nodded before continuing. "Be aware that this castle is East of home should anything happen." It wasn't unlike him to say such a thing while they were out raiding. There was always a possibility that something could go horribly wrong. It was not unheard of for one or two of his men being captured or killed so if there was any hope for them getting home, Youko always made sure to tell them the small information that could possibly help in the end.

And he wasn't sure if he would call their 'village' home, but to some it was. He had been there for so long that maybe it was starting to become somewhat of a home even if it was mostly filled with obnoxious demons that craved sex.

In any case, with a nod of their heads once again, the group split up to begin their watch.

* * *

What would have taken a mere human an hour or more only took a few moments for Youko and Kuronue to reach their hiding spot within the trees. Their demon speed was always a plus in these situations.

The northern side of the castle held the entrance. It was probably the most exposed side of the castle and that's why Youko had chosen it. He could observe anyone and everyone as they entered or left and it would play to their advantage.

Out of the two of them, Youko knew he had to conceal himself better than Kuronue because the shadows from the trees branches and leaves worked for the darker demons advantage. His friend was always dressed in dark colors and Youko idly wondered if maybe he should start to wear darker clothing after this point on for better hiding. Light colored clothes and silver hair that glistened in the sun or moonlight was not the best thing if you didn't want to bring attention to yourself.

Positioned on different branches next to each other, both demons let their backs rest against the trunk to begin the watch.

"You know," Kuronue began, glancing at the fox demon, "That woman that is staying with me?"

Youko didn't bother to turn his head, too intent on keeping his gaze fixed on the building. Did Kuronue actually think that he paid any attention to the women the dark demon slept with?

Kuronue pouted and huffed. "Anyway! She's rather demanding and…" he let himself train off, staring at Youko fully. "Sexy."

Youko's eyebrows rose, this time glancing at his friend before returning his gaze. What the hell was his problem? Youko pictured himself rolling his eyes. His so-called friend was a moron. "So?"

"Well," Kuronue smirked having thought his mission of grabbing Youko's attention somewhat accomplished. "She's rather good in _that_ department." He waggled his eyebrows. "You know, the dirty department. I just can't get enough of her for some reason and its rather pleasant. Her demands can sometimes be a bit frustrating but it's sexy nonetheless." He paused, looking at his friend. "How are you and _Kagome_ doing?" he teased at last.

Kagome…

It seemed like it had been forever since he had seen her, since he had smelt her scent and tasted her sweet lips. Sometimes he felt himself clawing to get back to her because before now, he didn't mind going out on missions, he didn't have anything or anyone to return to other than his rare items.

But now, he had Kagome. Something that was just his, something that he didn't have to share.

But he guessed Kuronue wanted to Know al, about her now. That was too bad.

"She's fine."

Kuronue raised his eyebrows, an incredulous look on his face. "Fine?! That's it?!" Why didn't his friend want to tell him anything? Youko always told him if a woman was good or not.

Youko turned his gaze to Kuronue for the first time, looking him straight in the eyes. "What more do you want to know?"

"Well…" an evil glint in Kuronues eyes started to emerge.

"No."

"Whaaat?" Kuronue wined.

"The answer is no."

Kuronue rolled his eyes with a growl of frustration. "You're no fun."

Youko leaned forward slightly and both he and Kuronue tensed when they heard a noise below them. They looked at each other and nodded. There were demons scouting the surroundings and they both took the opportunity to conceal themselves more securely while still watching the castle.

* * *

Bored.

Absolutely bored.

Kagome let out a heavy sigh as she picked herself up from the bed. Youko's absence left a small void in Kagome that she was aware of because she knew if he were here, she wouldn't be bored for one moment. There was a small part of her that thought she would be all right when he left, maybe even relaxing. But there was No doubt now, especially when she found herself just gazing off and not paying attention, that she missed him.

The only company she had (or was rather allowed) was Ai. The rabbit demon was taking good care of her since Kagome started to feel under the weather. They hadn't talked that much since Youko's departure three days ago, but Kagome didn't feel awkward around her. There was something about the energy that Ai gave off that made her feel comfortable no matter what.

Speaking of Ai, there was a knock on the door before it slowly opened to reveal the rabbit. Although, in Kagome's mind, she liked to call Ai a bunny.

"How are you feeling Kagome?" asked Ai as she gave Kagome a glass of water.

Sipping all of it down, Kagome wiped her lips before answering. "I'm feeling much better thanks to you," she grinned.

Unlike Youko, Ai returned her smile. "If you're up to it, what do you feel like doing today?"

Kagome took a moment to decide, closing her eyes before opening them with an excited gasp. "Can I see Tamaki-sama?"

It had been such a long time since she had seen the older woman and she really did miss her. She had been the only one other than Akihiro to be kind to her in the estate.

Ai nodded her head. "Of course! I love Tamaki. I'll give you a few minutes to get ready, meet me outside when you're done."

* * *

Ai did not have to wait long for Kagome to rush down the steps and after almost tripping on the last step; they started to make their way through the crowd to Tamaki's small 'home'.

"Ai?"

The rabbit turned down to look at Kagome, ears facing in the humans direction also. "Yes?"

"How do you know Tamaki-sama?" she asked shyly.

Ai ran a hand through her long hair. "Well, my friend Taro actually introduced us after he had been given some food from her. She cooked for us the night we met and I loved her food so much I kept going back almost everyday." She smiled with a slight laugh before turning to Kagome. "How about you?"

Kagome looked away. "Well…" She had to ready herself before she continued. "Before I came here, I lived in an estate with a man I was going to be engaged to and she was one of the servants and cook. Despite what the others said, she was very kind to me and I want to pay her back."

Ai nodded her head. "Come on, I'll take you there."

And with that, the women began to weave through the crowd as Ai lead her very far away from the large Sakura tree where Kagome resided.

The smells and voices that assaulted her were a little better than her last experience, although some of the stares she received were the same. It seemed that she got more attention when she walked with Youko than she did walking with Ai. It shouldn't have surprised her though since Youko was basically their leader. It was a nice change.

Kagome felt herself trip suddenly and almost lose her balance if not for the strong-arm that wrapped around her waist. When she finally stood straight the arm released her only to be replaced with a masculine hand on her hip that gave her a slight squeeze causing her to gasp as she turned.

"K-Koga?"

The wolf demon grinned down at her. "What are you doing out here _Kagome_?"

Kagome's eyes searched his as she felt his hand tighten slightly on her waist. "I-"

"Get your hands off her you filthy wolf."

The pair turned to see Ai glaring at the wolf, an almost feral sound escaping her clenched mouth. Her hair seemed to be on edge as she had placed herself in a position that if anything were to happen, she would be able to lunge at Koga and basically rip him apart.

To Kagome's shock she felt Koga's chest vibrate as he laughed. "What do you think I was going to run off with her?" he asked as he released her but did not move away. "Unless," his deathly glare turned from Ai to Kagome again, a vicious smirk playing on his lips. "Unless you _want_ to come with me Kagome."

He eyed her like a predator did its prey before it struck. The knowing look that there was no way of escaping, trapped just by his gaze.

"Come here Kagome." Came Ai's stern voice, releasing Kagome from her stupor.

Kagome nodded almost robotically before turning away from Koga to go to Ai's side. She heard Koga laughing behind her.

"Are you afraid just because your leader isn't here? That there is no one to protect her but you rabbit?"

Ai pushed Kagome behind her, out of Koga's vision before standing straight up, more calm now than before now that Kagome was with her. "Of course not you foolish dog. Youko-sama doesn't need to be here to protect either myself or Kagome. If you try this again, _you_ will be the one in need of protection."

Koga crossed his arms, "So I'm supposed to let her fall next time?"

Ai's fist clenched at her side. "She wouldn't have needed help if you hadn't have tripped her. Don't play it off, I saw you the whole time."

The women heard Koga let out a growl, "FINE!" And with that, he turned into a small tornado and fled.

They did not move for a few moments until Ai turned towards Kagome. "Are you alright?"

She nodded her head and Ai smiled. "That was a little too close wasn't it?"

Without bothering to hear what Kagome would say, Ai once again began to walk towards their original destination. "Come on, and this time walk beside me."

* * *

They arrived after a short walk and Tamaki greeted them after Ai knocked on her door. The old woman invited them into her home warmly and had them sit by the fire as she prepared drinks for them.

When they were finally settled, Tamaki was the first to talk.

"How are you doing Kagome? I'm surprised you are out today now that Youko has gone out for a bit!"

Kagome smiled, glass in hand. "I'm doing alright Tamaki-sama. I needed to get out today, I've been in the Sakura tree for a while and I really needed some fresh air. And plus, I have Ai to keep me company," she nodded towards Ai with a smile before continuing, looking concerned for the older woman. "How are _you_ doing Tamaki-sama?"

Tamaki laughed slightly at Kagome's worry. "I'm doing fine child! Don't worry over some old lady like me!"

Kagome let her eyes drop to her lap. "Does…does anyone mistreat you Tamaki-sama?" Her voice came out shyly through her lips as she fingered her glass nervously.

Once again there was a laugh from the older woman before Kagome felt a hand rest on her own. It was colder and much more aged than hers. She looked up and her eyes met Tamaki's.

"Of course not dear."

"No one would ever mistreat Tamaki-san," chimed in Ai before taking a sip of her drink. "Everyone loves Tamaki-san and her cooking!"

The older woman smiled happily at the demon. "Well then, what shall we eat?"

* * *

The dinner they had at Tamaki's was both plentiful and delicious. There was none left over and both Ai and Kagome left Tamaki with happy grins and fully bellies.

As they started to make their way back to the Sakura tree, Kagome stopped suddenly and Ai quickly followed suit.

"Kagome?" she asked timidly. Was something wrong? Was Kagome starting to feel sick again?

Ai watched as Kagome looked around her suddenly, "Do you by any chance know where a woman named Leiko is?"

The rabbit was a little caught off by Kagome's question but quickly relaxed. At least she wasn't sick again. She let out a small sigh before straightening. "I do know where she is. Why do you want to see her?"

Why did she want to see her? Leiko hated her ever since she saw Kagome. They weren't friends and they really shouldn't be meeting, especially after their last encounter.

But…Kagome felt she really did need to try and do something.

"I'd like to check up on her. She and I have not talked in a while." All of it was true and Kagome nodded in determination.

Ai placed her hands on her hips before looking around the area, only stopping when she found what she was looking for. "If you want to see her Kagome, then I will take you there also."

There was something about the way Ai said 'her' that had her questioning the demon. "Do you know Leiko?"

Ai turned to face Kagome. "I don't really know her but I've heard she became angry easily and belligerent when she first came here. I haven't heard much about her since she started to live with Kuronue."

Kagome's eyebrows rose. "She lives with Kuronue?" The man that killed Akihiro, Leiko's love? Ai had to be wrong…there was no way…. "Are you sure Leiko is living with Kuronue?"

Ai nodded. "I would never lie to you Kagome."

Kagome bit her lip nervously. "I know…"

The rabbit eyed her for a moment. "Do you not want to go and see her now?" she asked.

Kagome's hands came up and waved side to side in front of her, "No, no, that's not it! Please, take me there."

Ai turned back in the direction she had set her sights on before she had turned to Kagome. "Ok, follow me," she said as she began to walk towards their goal again.

It wasn't before long that they arrived at a rather nice looking building that was set away from most of the others. Kagome had to tilt her head back to look up to the top, which was unusual since the other houses were not as tall as this one.

Without notice, Ai knocked on the door and Kagome had to rush to brush some small specks of dirt that had fallen on her kimono off. She stood straight up when the door slowly opened to reveal Leiko, a look of surprise written on her face until her eyes landed on Kagome, at which point her eyes narrowed.

Smiling shyly back at the other woman, Kagome bent her head down slightly, "Can…can we please come in?"

As the seconds passed Kagome's heart almost seemed to stop beating from anxiety. She should have been prepared to wait a little for Leiko's answer.

She heard a sigh and then a slight movement. "Come in."

Picking her head up, Kagome smiled again at Leiko who turned her head when their eyes met as she stepped aside to let the pair into the house.

After both Ai and Kagome were in the house, they heard a click behind them as the door was shut and locked before they heard footsteps and watched as Leiko passed them.

"Have a seat, I'll get something to drink," came the blondes voice.

The pair looked at each other and after Ai shrugged her shoulders, she walked to a corner of the room and sat with her back against the wall, leaving Kagome to take a seat by the fire that was crackling in the middle of the room.

When Leiko finally returned she held two glasses and walked over to Ai and handed her one before walking back to hand one to Kagome. The raven haired girl waited for Leiko to sit before placing the cup down beside her and almost throwing herself on the floor, head resting on the ground while her palms rested beside her head on either side.

"I'm so sorry Leiko…for everything," spoke Kagome as she squeezed her eyes closed. She missed the older woman's shocked gaze as she stared down at her.

The swell of emotions that built up as Kagome watched Leiko made her heart clench. It had seemed that before they had come in contact, that Kagome had forgiven herself for something she had not caused or could have prevented…but when their eyes had met for the first time in what seemed like weeks, Kagome could no longer hold back her emotions.

"I never knew anything like this was going to happen…if I had, I would have never gone to live with Akihiro. I can't help but feel that my actions have placed us here and have placed you in danger. I cannot forgive myself for having you in danger here."

There were a few tense moments and Kagome could hear her heart beating. Then, what seemed like out of nowhere, Leiko spoke.

"Get off the floor Kagome."

The raven-haired girls head jerked up to stare at Leiko, eyes slightly widened before she slowly complied, sitting with her legs beneath her and her hands placed on her lap.

Leiko took a deep breath as she straightened her back. "I've come to realize it was not your fault that all of this happened. I was too engrossed in my anger towards you so I did not stop to think about what had happened until I came to live here. I have been told everything that has happened and I do not blame you anymore. I realize now that my actions towards you were distasteful and I apologize." She bent her head in a silent gesture. "I am alright now that I have come to live with Kuronue and if there is anything I would want to thank you for, it would be that I was able to meet him." Her face lifted to look at Kagome and for the first time ever; she gave Kagome an apologetic smile.

The need to rush over and hug the older girl filled Kagome but she stopped herself, not wanting to force anything that Leiko did not want or appreciate. Instead, Leiko began to speak.

"How are things going with Youko?" she asked.

The question caught her off guard and caused Kagome to blush. "Wh-Why?" she managed to say after regaining some composure.

"Kuronue talks about him all the time so I was just wondering," she stated simply.

"Oh," Kagome said. She probably sounded a little foolish to Leiko for asking 'why'…the other girl was trying to start a conversation and Kagome had almost destroyed it without even knowing. Shaking her head slightly she began to speak, "Well, things are going as well as they can I guess. I'm hoping to see my family soon though," she turned to glance at Ai who stared back at her questioningly.

Leiko nodded her head, seeming a little sad before picking up her spirits. "That's good," she glanced out the window. "It's getting late and I have to clean still and I know you don't want to be here for that," she smiled.

Kagome agreed and began to stand. "Thank you for letting us in and…for everything." She bowed before Leiko began to walk towards the door, escorting Kagome out to meet Ai who had already gotten up.

"It was my pleasure," replied the blonde. "Come visit again, I'll cook dinner next time."

Kagome smiled happily, "Ok! Until then, good-bye Leiko-san!"

And as Leiko waved them off, a new sense of lightness came over Kagome and she smiled to herself although it didn't go unnoticed by Ai.

"Are you alright Kagome?" asked the rabbit idly.

Kagome couldn't keep the smile off her face as she replied, "It feels like a weight has been lifted off of my chest and it just feels too good not to smile."

Ai let out a satisfied 'hmm' as they kept walking.

"I wonder though," began the raven-haired girl, "when Youko will get back…" He had been off of her mind for some of the day but when Leiko had mentioned him, he face decided to re-appear in her mind and she couldn't get rid of it.

"Probably not for another few days or so…"

_A few days?_ Kagome let out a frustrated sigh.

"Kagome?" came Ai's voice.

"Yes?" Their eyes met.

"Would you like to go to the spring?"

Spring? "Where is it?"

Ai hesitated for a moment, "In the forest…"

Kagome laughed lightly, "No, but would you rather go with me to bathe in Youko's spring?"

Ai's eyes widened. "Youko-sama's spring? Are we allowed to?" S_he_ personally had never stepped foot even in his home so going to his spring was almost…unthinkable.

"Of course!" Kagome said happily. "I bathe there all the time and plus, Youko-_sama_," she said the 'sama' part jokingly, "isn't even here so there shouldn't be any problem."

Ai sighed. This opportunity to bathe in an inside spring would probably not happen for a while so after a moment of thought Ai decided to take the chance. "Alright then."

"So Kagome?" asked Ai as a string of steam floated between the two women as they relaxed in the spring.

"Hmm?"

Ai raised her cupped hand from the spring and watched as the water slowly poured back down. "You really like Youko-sama?" She really had been wanting to ask the human this question for some time now to try and figure her out and her intentions.

Kagome's eyes opened to stare at Ai curiously. "Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, you see, Youko-sama has never been in a _serious_ relationship. At least he hasn't for as long as I have known him." The rabbit's eyes met Kagome's. "Most of the women he has been with leave and are never seen again, although I'm not sure if it's by their own choice or his…but I'm still curious and it seems that Youko-sama likes you very much and I don't want him to get hurt."

Kagome's mouth opened slightly as she looked down at her hands that started to go back and forth under the water. Hearing about Youko's 'other women' made Kagome feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"I would never hurt him Ai. I've…known Youko for some time and I've always had a special place for him in my heart. He has saved me many times in the past and I cannot begin to know how to repay him. I really do love him…"

They stared at each other for a moment.

"But I thought you were engaged to another male?" asked Ai.

Kagome nodded her head. "Yes, but I did not love him. It was more of out of duty and to help my family more than anything. But I tried to love him; I wanted to see if it would blossom, especially when I didn't see Youko for months. I thought it was possible." She paused before shaking her head. "But I was wrong. Youko was always on my mind from the moment we met and I know I can count on him when I am in trouble.

"I'm not sure if he loves me but I do _love_ him more than I love anything else and I will continue to do so until the day I die."

When Kagome looked back at Ai, she found the demon smiling brightly. "I'm glad to hear that. It's good that Youko-sama has found someone as special as you and wished to protect it."

Kagome blushed nervously and wanted to try and get the attention off her. "What about you Ai? Do you have someone special?"

It was Ai's turn to look away with a slight blush. "I do and he is currently out with your love. They are also friends."

"How did the two of you meet? What is your story?" Kagome asked. It had been forever since she had made girl talk with another female since Sango left her village. Having a friend that was a girl was a good thing.

"We actually met through Youko-sama and we have been inseparable, other than by missions, ever since. His name is Taro"

"That's great Ai!" Kagome said cheerfully. "Do you plan on having kids one day?" It was a pretty blunt question but ever since Youko had said something about it before he left, it just kept playing on Kagome's mind from time to time.

This time, Ai's reaction wasn't so happy but she tried to play it of with a small smile. "We were going to a month ago but unfortunately I miscarried."

All of Kagome's happy thoughts of little Ai's and Taro's came crashing down and her heart seemed to stop. "I'm so sorry Ai, I shouldn't have asked. Please, forgive me."

Ai stood and made her way over to where Kagome was and placed her hand on the girls shoulder. "It's alright. I shouldn't keep emotions like that bottled up or it will only hurt me in the end. Its good to talk about these things."

After talking a bit more in the spring, the women found that they were starting to turn into prunes so they decided to finish up and get out before they pruned beyond recognition. Now, after having dried off and dressed for bed, they sat on Youko's big bed.

"Ai?" questioned Kagome.

Said demon looked at her friend, watching her intently as Kagome continued.

"Would it be possible for me to see my family before Youko comes back? Maybe even going tomorrow?" She pleaded and continued before Ai could cut in. "I really need to explain to them everything that has been happening before I want Youko to meet them and I promise that I won't make us stay there for more than one night! And then we'll come straight home!" Now, Kagome was kneeling with her hands clasped tightly in front of her, begging.

Ai sighed and observed Kagome and contemplated her words before finally she spoke. "As long as we only stay one night then come straight home I don't see the hurt in it."

Kagome gasped in happiness before leaping up and throwing her arms around the demon. "Thank you so much Ai! I promise it will be a good time and there will be nothing to worry about!"

* * *

"So what did you find out?" came a gruff male voice from the shadows of the house.

Leiko, who had just finished cleaning up, dropped the glass she held in her hand. It shattered when it connected with the floor but she paid no attention to it as she looked up at the intruder that she had failed to hear come in.

Noticing whom it was, she glared before bending to pick up the shards of broken glass. "She's going to see her family tomorrow," she answered before straightening up and looked at the wolf. "That's all I know."

She heard him laugh. "Well then, whom is she going with?"

Leiko averted her gaze. "I'm guessing Ai."

Out of the corner of her eye she watched Koga nod his head in satisfaction. "Good job," he said as he moved to circle her. He could feel her nervousness and it made him laugh. "Don't worry. Lord Hirohiko will destroy everything here when he finds this place and after he has Kagome. Then you'll be free to go as I said from the beginning."

Leiko whipped around to look at him but found nothing. He had vanished, leaving her to breathe heavily in the quiet room. There was no doubt that she was afraid of him. He was a demon after all and she had seen the kinds of things a demon could do to a defenseless human.

* * *

"Kagome?"

Said girl turned to look at Ai who was resting beside her in the large bed. "Yea?"

"What were you doing before you lived with Akihiro and before you came here?" asked the rabbit peculiarly.

"Hmm, well," she began, "I was working mostly."

Ai propped herself up by her hand. "Working?"

"Yup, I had to make money for my family. We aren't…the richest people in our village so I decided to make money by working in the rice fields," explained Kagome.

Ai's eyes brightened. "I love rice!"

Kagome grinned, "My mom will make some for us tomorrow when we go. I bet she'd love to."

"Then for now, lets get some rest so we can get an early start and eat some rice tomorrow," stated Ai with a laugh.

Kagome agreed and thanked Ai once again.

"No problem as long as Youko-sama doesn't find out alright?"

Kagome giggled. "Of course! It will be our little secret."

Ai grinned before turning off the light. "Goodnight Kagome."

"Goodnight Ai," yawned Kagome before settling down under the covers.

* * *

Oh its been over a month without an update, I'm soo sorry! "Please forgive me!!111" as Kagome would say lmao. Over 5,000 words so I hope you enjoyed and if you have not read the preview at my livejournal already, then you should know that there will only be three more chapters of this fanfic so 24 in all just like A Wolf's Cry.

All the outlines are done and most of the roughs are done so hopefully the next chapter will not take as long to get out. Again, please forgive the un-beta ness of it all. I dont have a beta and I do all the overviewing myself and I know there are mistakes so if you want, point them out and I'll fix them.

Please review and let me know what you thought! And maybe tell me what other kinds of fanfiction you would like to see me do. Include a pairing if possible and from what manga/anime too but please, no crossovers! This is my last one!

Lots of love,

Dark Paine


	22. Chapter 22

_The further apart you go, _

_the more it hurts the person you love_

_The more I chase them, _

_the more my heart feels the cruel distance_

_Give me a smile and shiny days, _

_Give me a smile and nice days, _

_If only we could meet in an embrace..._

**First Love**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

It was very early when Ai decided to wake Kagome up. In fact, it was still dark beyond the window when Kagome opened her eyes and almost like a passing thought, she momentarily had second thoughts about going to see her family. But, after stretching and letting out a good yawn, she smiled to herself.

Finally, after months of waiting, she would see her family.

She would finally be able to see them face-to-face and suddenly Kagome felt slightly nervous. She wondered if they knew what had happened to Akihiro…what they thought about it. Would they…

She was not able to finish her thought as Ai came into view.

The first thing Kagome noticed was that Ai was already dressed and ready to walk out the door. Tight black pants covered one of her slightly tanned legs while the other covered only to mid thigh. And on her feet were sandals that were a little higher than normal. Her shirt was a dark blue and probably the tightest shirt that Kagome had ever seen. The sleeves were cut off and the neckline came straight to her neck although Ai's voluptuous breasts would catch any mans attention with or without a low neck.

"Is something wrong?" asked Ai as she looked down at the human girl curiously.

"Umm…its nothing!" answered Kagome quickly, embarrassed at being caught staring. In an attempt to break away from Ai's stare, she pushed the covers away from her and stood up. "I need to change!"

Ai stood in slight amusement as she watched Kagome grab her kimono and begin to change. She turned away from the younger girl to give her some privacy and waited until she was finished before turning back around.

"I've already packed another kimono for you to change into tomorrow. Is there anything else you will need?" asked Ai as she nodded to a small bag. A demon such as herself never needed anything but the clothes on her back (if she even needed that anyway) but she knew that humans were more fragile.

Kagome shook her head and picked up the bag that held her kimono. "I don't think I need anything else." If there was anything she did need, she would most likely find it at her house…hopefully.

Ai walked towards the door and opened it. "Alright then, we should probably leave in order to get there while your family is still awake."

It was relatively quiet as they walked down the steps. The only sounds audible to Kagome were the slight click of Ai's heels against the wood steps and the constant thumping in her chest, which only got louder until they finally came to a stop when they were outside.

The cool air sent a chill up Kagome's spine as she waited for Ai, who was shutting the door to join her. There was a slight chirping of birds that had risen early off in the distance and it somewhat calmed her.

"Its lovely hearing them in the morning, isn't it?" came Ai's voice as she stood beside Kagome who nodded in agreement.

"Well then," continued Ai, "we should probably get going if we want to get there before nightfall." The rabbit smirked down at Kagome before she watched the taller female walk to stand in front of her and knelt down, back facing her. "It might be slightly uncomfortable with your kimono, but it will be faster this way."

She was right, Kagome came to find after making two attempts to get onto Ai's back before stupidly falling off. She probably should have chosen different apparel for traveling but it hadn't even crossed her mind because of how excited she was. Maybe she could go and change?

"Just hike up your kimono. There are no men looking and it will be easier that way," came Ai's voice again and after agreeing, she hiked up her kimono and jumped onto Ai's back successfully. She felt Ai's arms lock around her legs and Kagome took the chance as Ai stood to wrap her arms around Ai's neck in an almost non-choking manner.

No sooner had she wrapped her arms around Ai's neck they were off. Kagome could have sworn she left her sandals at the door but when she glanced down she saw they were still on her feet.

The ground beneath them seemed to be a blur Kagome noticed with a gasp before tucking her head in the crook of Ai's neck to keep from getting sick. She had never moved at such high speeds and even if Kagome had the ability, she wouldn't even think about it.

She felt a slight rumble before she heard Ai speak.

"Don't tell me you're afraid?" laughed Ai, turning her head slightly so Kagome could hear her.

Kagome turned her head into the crook of Ai's neck. "I just don't understand how you can run so fast and not possibly hit anything."

At that moment, Ai jumped over a fallen tree and landed almost soundlessly on the ground before returning to speed. "There is no possible way that I will ever collide with something unless it is just as fast, if not faster than me and a tree is no where near that. Hasn't Youko-sama ever run with you?"

Just the sound of his name made Kagome's heart beat in her chest even faster than before and she could have sworn Ai could feel it against her back. She missed him so much since he had left and even though Ai was a good friend and she enjoyed being with her, it was nothing like being with Youko.

"No, he hasn't," she replied sadly.

Ai's eyebrows rose as she continued forward through the forest, never missing a beat or a step or the fall in Kagome's voice. "Maybe he didn't want to scare you?" She suggested, trying to lighten the mood. "It seems like he really likes you Kagome and that has never happened before…"

Kagome's interest perked up, as did her head. "Really? Do you really think so?"

Ai smiled. "Of course! If he didn't, he would have me protect you while he was gone now would he? And plus, when he is here he's always with you and hates being bothered by anyone or anything."

Kagome felt both surprised and giddy at the same time. It felt so nice to hear that from someone on the outside of her and Youko's relationship because it seemed she didn't notice _everything_ about him.

"What about you Ai? Do you think…Taro's the one that you'll be with forever?"

The sudden jerk upwards as Ai leapt over a fallen tree had Kagome holding tight. "Taro and I have been together for a while now and I wouldn't change it for the world. I honestly do believe that he and I will be together for the rest of our lives."

It was so…adorable to hear Ai say something as sincere as that. To be able to say confidently that you'd spend the rest of your life with someone because you loved them and nothing else was rare. Kagome had been so used to arranged marriages or marriages only based on money. Most of which were loveless and the women always found themselves miserable, sometimes even leading to suicide. There had always been cases of suicide that happened in her village or even rumors that came from different villages were usually only discussed with the other women. That didn't prevent the children from eavesdropping and then spreading the horrifying stories to their friends.

So to hear Ai say such a thing was wonderful.

"Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"You were so quiet I thought you had fallen asleep," she laughed.

"I'm not sure its possible to fall asleep while you're running Ai, no offense. I'm afraid if I did fall asleep I'd fall off and be left behind."

Ai laughed again. "That would never happen. Youko would kill me! …Kagome?"

"Hmm?"

"I've been meaning to tell you this for a while but I keep getting side tracked…did you know that a relationship between a demon and a human is not uncommon?" Ai questioned.

"What?"

"Well," Ai continued. "A long time ago it was almost absurd for a demon to even _think_ about it. You know? Since most demons think of humans to be worthless and dirty, no offense Kagome."

Kagome, who had been listening intently, "None taken."

"Anyway, a while back there were rumors spreading about a demon taking a human wife. The demon was a lord so most demons could not believe it until a friend of mine actually saw them together. Apparently the lord had gotten the human pregnant so he was glued to her side for practical reasons: it was probably his heir. But, the funny thing was, he showered her with affection and they truly appeared to love each other.

"But it became fact when word of the Lords sacrifice to save his wife as well as his newborn son that there had to have been more than lust and tradition between the couple. For a demon to sacrifice himself for a _human_…well that was just incredible."

Kagome held onto Ai in amazement and the demon continued to run thought the slowly thinning forest as night set upon them.

"So basically what I'm trying to say, is that it is possible for demons to fall in love with humans and that its not just lustful intentions," Ai concluded. She could feel Kagome relax a big and rest her chin on her shoulder and breathe deeply. Hopefully she had settled some of Kagome's worries that might have been in the back of the girls mind.

Kagome stayed quite until Ai finally slowed down to a walk before coming to a stop on a dirt road that looked rather familiar to Kagome when Ai set her down. "We're…close!" she said excitedly.

Ai smiled as she looked down. "I wasn't sure that it would be appropriate if we ran straight into your village and scared everyone so I decided to stop about a mile away from your village," she exclaimed. "Let's go before the creatures come out."

Kagome didn't miss the joke and laughed as she almost ran down the dirt road, Ai following with no effort.

* * *

As they walked through the village, one thing became apparent. No one was wandering the streets anymore. There were a few that were outside that Kagome could see from afar but they quickly hid in their homes or dragged their children inside, as they got closer. Word spread quickly of the demon visiting with the girl they all thought had died and Kagome could see their frightened faces.

Did they think she was a ghost?

Kagome couldn't imagine what her mother must have heard. She picked up the pace and hurried to her childhood home.

She only had to step in front of her home before the deer skinned door was pushed aside by her mother who came rushing out followed by Souta, already hearing the news, and locked eyes with her daughter that she hadn't seen in months.

Tears instantly sprang to both of their eyes as Kagome's mother threw her arms around her in an embrace. Her mothers' sobs rang loudly in the air.

"Kagome? Kagome is this really you?" Her mother pulled back from her to place her hands on either side of Kagome's face to search her eyes.

"Yes, mom. It's really me…" Kagome sniffled.

With a loud sob Kagome's mother embraced her again and not before long she felt another pair of arms wrap around her and turned to see her brother.

"Sis, it's really you…I thought…" he trailed off not wanting to finish his thought.

She patted his head in a familiar gesture. "I know Souta, its alright, I'm back now."

The scene of their reunion was just too bitter sweet, Ai thought. Turning her body away, Ai tried hard not to listen so the human family could have some privacy.

* * *

The smell of her mothers cooking brought Kagome's mind to fond memories of her family eating together at the table. She missed eating with her family so she would savor the meals she would have here. She knew that she couldn't eat with them for long because she would leave the next day. But there were some things that were more important than the food she was cooking.

"Mom?" asked Kagome.

"Yes dear?"

Kagome stared down at her folded hands in her lap. There were many things she wanted to discuss with her mother. She wanted to tell her about everything she had experienced but all that would have to wait after they had gone through the important things. She didn't want her mother to worry anymore. "What…exactly have you heard?"

Her mothers face turned serious as she sat down at the head of their table. "Well…I've heard of Akihiro-sama's death…and that the whole estate was destroyed. I thought…I thought you had been killed!" tears started to fill her eyes. "I never thought I was going to see you again Kagome…where have you been?"

Kagome's heart clenched. How could she have made her mother worry like this? "I'm so sorry mom…I should have come sooner but I..."

"I brought Kagome to stay with me and my family to keep her out of danger," interrupted Ai. "I found her and brought her to my home and she has been staying there ever since."

Kagome's mothers' eyes widened. "So Ai, you're Kagome's friend?" she asked as she stood again and cooked the rice and a decent amount of meat for them. Even though their introductions had gone well earlier, her mother was still a little fidgety every now and then. It wasn't surprising though because she new that just by Ai's looks that she wasn't human. Ai didn't mind, she was used to the reaction.

"Yes I am," replied Ai kindly. "My family and I enjoy her company very much."

Kagome's mother smiled as she turned and served both Ai and her daughter food. "Has Kagome been behaving herself?"

Ai smiled as she took in the scent of the food and closed her eyes. "Oh yes Miss. She is very kind and we enjoy her company. And thank you for this lovely meal."

The older woman's eyes brightened as she stared down at the demon sitting in her house. The nervousness she had felt earlier was starting to subside and it appeared that they were both becoming more comfortable around each other.

Although she did have her chills every now and then.

Turning down at her daughter she asked, "So now that you are back, will you be living at home again?" Her eyes looked hopeful.

"I'm afraid that Kagome will be returning to my home once again tomorrow. Because of some certain things that have happened, it is not safe for her to be alone," stated Ai.

Kagome's eyes locked onto Ai's face that had returned to eating her rice.

"What? What exactly do you mean Ai?" asked Kagome's mother horrified.

Ai put down her chopsticks and looked at Kagome's mother. "It's just a precaution because of what happened. My family and I don't want whoever destroyed Akihiro's estate to hurt Kagome. We want things to settle down before deciding what to do next." She turned to look at Kagome, continuing to speak to her mother. "There is also someone waiting for her return."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly before she glanced at her mother who started to stare at her. She thought her mother would ask her who was waiting for her to return but instead her mother's gaze returned to Ai.

"This is…this is all my fault... I should have never let you go to Akihiro…I should have said no to their offers and kept you home. None of this would have happened if I had said no to them…Kagome! I'm so sorry…what have I done?" She sank to the floor and placed her face in her hands and began to sob. "What have I done to you?"

Kagome rushed over to her mom and hugged her. "Mom, its not your fault. Neither of us knew what would happen. Mom, please don't believe that all this is your fault. Its not!"

"But Kagome…I'm your parent! I should have done something!"

"Mom, neither of us could have done anything. I'm fine now and I'll continue to be fine because I have Ai now to protect me. I need you to be strong Mom."

Her mother's face turned up to look at the rabbit demon. "Will you take care of my daughter? Do you promise to take care of my daughter?"

Ai smiled. "I will, you don't have to worry about her. I promise."

Ai's promise seemed to install a bit of courage into her mother and Kagome was able to calm her down before things seemed to become more peaceful around their house.

The three women (and sometimes even Souta), talked for hours. Kagome came to discover that her mother and brother were actually doing well and that her mother had taken up the job that she previously held at the rice fields. Even Souta would help there on different occasions but for the most part he made deliveries to homes. Life was decent and they were able to afford food and other small necessities even after she had left.

Ai had asked her mother if she had heard anything for Lord Hirohiko. There had been no news of the Lord but just rumors.

When the sun went down and the crickets began to chirp, Kagome's mother turned to her. "I'm so glad that you are alright and well." She stood, as did Kagome and they embraced.

"I'm happy you're doing well also mom. I should have come sooner, I'm sorry."

Her mother patted her back and pulled away. "It's alright dear, you're safety is the first priority. I don't want anything to happen or anyone to hurt you."

"Thanks mom."

"Here, I'll lay out the blankets and we'll go to bed, it's been a long day," said her mother as she moved to the corner of their house to begin spreading out the blankets for them to sleep on.

When her mother was finished, Kagome and Ai laid down to rest next to each other while her mother and brother slept a few feet away. Her family was able to fall asleep almost immediately while Kagome stared up at the ceiling. She was still upset over the fact that her mother had worried so much…she had even thought she was dead.

"Are you alright Kagome?" asked Ai.

Kagome turned to the rabbit demon and sighed. "Yea. I'm just a little upset for worrying them. But I'm really glad to spend time with my family again. It seems like it's been forever since I've seen them."

Ai nodded her head. "I see. Do you wish to leave later in the day tomorrow then?"

Kagome turned on her side and tucked her hands beneath her cheek. "I think I'd be okay if we left around lunchtime. That way we'll be able to eat breakfast and lunch together."

Ai nodded her head once again. "Alright. Try to get some sleep. It's been a long trip and a long day. We'll need all our energy tomorrow to get back before Youko finds out that we left."

* * *

The first day of watching had been very boring for the group. Absolutely _nothing _happened. The only activity was the guards watching their posts. And even then they would usually just switch from leaning on one leg to the other.

Now that they were on their second day, things seemed to be picking up.

Barely.

Other Lords had come to visit the estate with their daughters riding in carriages that were pulled by horses. They were probably there to arrange some sort of marriage or make some deals or trades? It really didn't matter.

What did matter was how _boring_ it was. Looking down at his claws Youko could feel his anticipation to finding another rare item. Maybe he would even give it to Kagome.

"Kuronue."

The bad demon turned to his fox friend. "What is it?"

"We will raid the estate tomorrow. Tell the others."

* * *

Morning seemed to come quickly for Kagome as did breakfast and lunch. She had spent her time talking with her mother and brother and getting up to date with everything that had happened to them.

Hojo was currently staying in another village to help their village doctor. He had come to her house a few times while she was gone but stopped after a while. It seemed he had made the decision to leave because she too had also left.

Time flew by and soon Kagome found herself, along with Ai, standing outside of her childhood home in front of her mother and brother.

Her mother spoke to Ai first. "Please take care of my daughter."

The rabbit demon bowed. "I will. No harm will come to her."

Kagome's mother smiled before turning back to her. Reaching down she grabbed her daughter's hands and held them in her own, squeezing them. "Kagome, dear. Please take care of yourself…I don't know what I'd do if anything were to happen to you."

"Oh mom! Please don't worry, I'll be fine. Ai is here to protect me and I'll come back as soon as I can."

Her mother nodded and with one last hug they broke apart.

Souta was the next to come up and hug his older sister. "Come back soon sis. We both miss you."

Kagome smiled down at her younger brother and patted his head. "I will Souta. I'll come back as soon as I can."

They hugged each other for a little while longer before Ai softly interrupted them.

"Kagome, its time to go."

Begrudgingly Souta released his grip around his sister and went to stand by their mother.

Kagome stepped back next to Ai and waved to her family that she would once again be leaving.

"Be safe Kagome!" her mother said as she watched her daughter began to walk away.

Kagome continued to wave towards her family until she was no longer able to see them. Only then did she turn and look down at the ground, continuing to walk beside Ai.

"Don't worry Kagome, you'll see your family again." Reassured Ai and she looked down at the human beside her.

Kagome didn't look back in the direction of the village and it was completely out of sight. Sadness seemed to reach her eyes again and her nose started to turn red as tears welled up.

"Do you want to ride on my back Kagome? You can rest while we journey back," suggested Ai and she came to a stop beside her.

She watched the human slowly life her head and nod and she smiled. "Alright then, hop on!"

But before Ai even had the chance to bend down for Kagome, she was hit by something solid and heavy and it sent her flying. She landed roughly on the ground and could feel her skin being bitten and torn by something sharp.

Her eyes seemed to bleed red before her claws became elongated. With the swipe her of hand she felt it come in contact with whatever was hurting her. She heard a yelp and it stopped for a moment and she was able to get a good look at just what was trying to kill her.

It was a wolf.

"Ai!" Kagome screamed as she watched her friend being attacked. She was frozen to the spot, eyes widened and shaking in fear. What…why was this happening?

A huge gust of wind hit her and kicked up the dirt from the road, clouding Kagome's vision. She had to cover her eyes with her arm to keep the dirt out of them. "Ai! Ai where are you?!" she screamed.

The wind continued to pick up and all Kagome could hear was the muffled sounds of yelping, howling and screams until suddenly it all stopped.

And there was dead silence.

She felt herself leaning forward until her legs gave out and she sank to her knees; hand on the ground as she breathed coarsely.

"Ai…Ai…where are you?" the words were hard to say because of her labored breathing. Slowly though, she was able to lift her head. If she could just see her…

But as she moved her head up, she came to face a pair of strong tanned legs that were attached to an equally strong torso until she reached the face of someone she knew all too well.

"K-Kouga…"

He smirked down at her as he folded his arms across his chest. "I should thank your pathetic friend for brining you here. She's helped us without even knowing it."

His cocky words make Kagome frown. What was he talking about? Helping them?

"You bastard!"

Both Kagome's and Kouga's heads turned and saw Ai on the ground surrounded by five wolves. All of them dripping in blood.

Kagome watched in horror as her friend tried to get up but was viciously stopped by the wolves that surrounded her. She watched as they grabbed a hold of her arms and threw her further down the road, blood started to seep from her wounds and left a trail as she rolled to a stop.

"Ai!"

Tears sprang to Kagome's eyes. This was all too familiar. There was so much blood dripping from the wolves' mouths as they panted. There bodies were also covered.

But Ai's…hers was just covered in blood and dirt. She had to go to her…she had to do something.

Shaking, she pushed herself to her feet and swayed slightly before she was suddenly held in a forceful grasp.

"You can't go to her. You're coming…with me."

* * *

He could hear the slight footsteps of the men who tried to walk the halls as quietly as possible. They would never even know what they were up against. Nor would they ever know he had been there and taken the most precious thing in their estate.

Kuronue and the others were his watchers as they hid in the shadows of the large estate. Youko watched the humans walk by his comrades many times and didn't even notice a thing.

This would be too easy.

Quickly he slipped past the guards that roamed the halls, careful not to let the moonlight that streamed in through the winds to hit him and came to the guards that watched the room. Since they were only human he was able to use a special powder to knock them out as he placed his hands over their mouths to prevent them from screaming. Finally he was able to make it into the room that was the cause of his anticipation. There in the middle was what all of them had been waiting for.

A bracelet that was covered in diamonds and emeralds as well as gold that was probably worth ten times as much as this estate.

Kagome would love it.

As he stepped closer to the shining object he could feel that something was not right.

Someone was also in the room with him.

Slowly he brought his hand to his hair and pulled out a rose and smelled it while closing his eyes. A smile appeared on his face before his eyes snapped open and transformed the rose into a whip.

Turning, he brought the whip up and it broke an arrow that was headed straight for his head.

"Priestess. You're here."

The woman that stood in the shadows came out and into the moonlight. She was dressed in the traditional miko garb with her hair pulled back, bow in hand. He knew her face and knew he would never forget it for the rest of his long life. This was a woman who he had let free once before.

"It's very unpleasant to see you again…Kikyo."

He watched as the priestess reached behind her and grabbed another arrow and pulled back on her bow. "I shouldn't expect much from a worthless demon such as yourself. I had hoped we would meet again so as I may finish my job. But I will give you the chance to leave now or I will purify you."

Youko's smirk widened. "You can try priestess. But I never leave empty handed."

He jumped as she released another arrow at him and once again broke it in half with his whip. He was quick on his feet and did not bother to stay in one place at any time. He could dodge her arrows all day if he wanted to.

After releasing a few more arrows and dodging, it appeared as if she was started to get a hang on his movements and she was faster the next time around and the arrow barely grazed his arm before a shock ran through his body. It surprised him how much holy powers she had.

But it wasn't enough to stop him.

Before long, he tired of their games and used his whip to grab the bow out of her hands to rest in his. She fell back against the wall and glared at him as he spoke. "You are no match for me priestess. I tire of your pathetic games." And with that, he broke the bow in half and threw it back towards her.

"Demon! I will not let you leave with that bracelet!"

Youko smirked at her. "Really? How can you do such a thing when you cannot move?"

"What?" asked Kikyo before she felt her arms being tugged roughly against the wall and turned her head to look. It appeared as if a root of some sort had grown and was now wrapped around her wrist to hold her up and disappeared to the other side of the wall. Following the roots trail her eyes came to rest on her bow that appeared to be forming appendages that headed her way. She tried rapidly with her other hand to rip the root off but was quickly stopped by another that wrapped around her free wrist to slam it against the wall.

"The roots from your bow will release you tomorrow. I will go easy on you once again because you are a woman. But do not think that I have forgotten what happened last time either. This is the final time I will do such a thing again."

Turning, the demon grabbed the bracelet and turned back to the priestess. He watched her angry face as the roots from the broken bow that lay at her feet soon covered her body. It was amusing to think that with that same bow she had tried to kill him.

"Farewell Priestess."

Kikyo looked on angrily as his body seemed to disappear into thin air and she could do nothing.

* * *

Kagome didn't want to open her eyes again. Because she knew that if she opened her eyes the pain would start again. She desperately hoped that they all still thought she was knocked unconscious as she tried to steady her breathing. With every intake of air she took, the pain in her chest increased and she could feel the tears pricking at her eyes.

She wanted to move her hand to wipe them away but didn't dare. She knew there would be someone watching her because at the first sign of awareness she would be brought back to _him _and back to the pain.

She would also run the risk of opening one of the many wounds on her body if she did move.

She didn't want to look around at the pretty room she had been placed in anymore. Every time it appeared as if she were going to admire it she would face Kouga again or he would bring her to someone worse.

And she knew she didn't want to face _him_ again.

Lord Hirohiko.

He was the cause of all her pain, of her lack of food and nourishment as well as rest.

He had made sure of that personally.

She heard her stomach growl and knew that her cover had been blown for she soon heard footsteps approach her.

A scream broke from her lips as a large hand grabbed a fist full of her hair and raised her up to look into the older face of the man that had been her father-in-law.

"What's the matter? Do you not find this room suitable? Do you wish to be placed into another room? Should I invite some demons here because you seem to have gotten so used to hiding with them. Hiding away, deep in the forest with them…very happily."

His face turned into a sneer. "You lived happily with them didn't you? While my son rots in the ground, you lived _happily_ with them!" he yelled as he slammed her face into the floor.

Kagome's head began to spin as she felt it being raised once again. "You're nothing but a whore! A leech that latched itself onto _my son_ and killed him!"

She felt his large hand across her face followed by the familiar sting. The tears that had been pricking at her eyes fell down her face.

The same hand that had slapped her wrapped around her neck and lifted her up, choking her. "This pain you feel is nothing compared to what you did to my son! Nothing compared to what you have done to our family!"

Kagome's fingers wrapped desperately around the lords hand and tried to pry it off as she gasped for air, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

She could see his face come in close to hers, his eyes burning with anger. "You've killed my son and you will pay greatly for your mistake."

* * *

**Authors Note:**

Oh dear, its almost been a year since I've updated my story. I'm so sorry to all the readers and fans! Forgive me!

I'm not sure that anyone really reads this story anymore but if you do, please leave a review and let me know what you think. Only a handful of chapters are left.

I hope you enjoyed!

-Dark Paine


	23. Chapter 23

_The moment my eyes began to burn  
The moment my heart was captured by you  
I have no regret, I chose you  
That's right, it's you_

**First Love**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

It was dusk when Youko returned to his home. His pace slowed as he walked down a familiar path to where his comrades were and could see some of the homes through the trees. He was in his territory and was able to relax more so than when he was outside of it. As he cleared the trees he saw random members of his clan sitting and chatting, others were roasting some sort of animal in the fire and some were even snoring on the ground. There was one thing that was off about the whole scene.

"All the wolves are gone," Kuronue stated beside Youko as he glanced around. He sniffed the air to confirm his suspicion and he was correct. "It's almost like they weren't here."

An eerie feeling went down Youko's back. Why had they left without waiting for him to return? Why didn't they even mention leaving before Youko had left? They made it seem like they would be staying a while anyway. And most importantly, why rush and purposefully try to hide their scent?

The small group was brought out of their speculations when Leiko approached them, or more importantly Kuronue.

"Welcome back," she said as she placed her hand on his arm and smiled up at him. He returned her smile and after a moment between the two, she glanced over at Youko and then her eyes seemed to widen for a moment before quickly going back to normal.

Brushing off her weird glance, Youko couldn't help but notice that Kagome had not come out to greet him like Leiko did for Kuronue. So, without saying a word to the group, he headed off to what he now considered to be his and Kagome's home in the tree.

Reaching the base of the large tree he opened the door and made his way up the steps. Maybe Kagome would be sleeping in their bed because it was late? Maybe she wanted to surprise him? A smile reached his lips and he slightly hesitated before the door that would lead him into the bedroom. He would have thought her scent would be stronger than it was now. He couldn't help but notice just how faint Kagome's lingering scent was in the air. There was no doubt that she would go out and venture even though he told her to stay but her scent should be stronger than it was.

A slight sense of foreboding took over Youko as he turned the knob and entered the room. Quickly his eyes scanned the bedroom.

Empty. It was…completely empty. There was no sign of life other than the plants that were scattered here or there and as his eyes landed on the bed, it almost seemed as though no one had been in this room for some time.

Quickly, Youko ran to the other side of the home and up the few steps that lead to the outside area. Maybe she was just sitting on the tree trunk looking up at the stars? That was quite possible. But as Youko searched, he could still not find Kagome.

What was going on? First the wolves…and now…Kagome?

A strong breeze blew past him, whipping his long hair away from his face. His ears lowered and a slight growl escaped him.

Something wasn't right. There was an eerie feeling in the air and Youko didn't like it at all.

In a flash he was down both sets of steps and out the door. He did not stop until he was in front of Kuronue's home and knocked on the door. As he expected Leiko opened the door.

She looked slightly startled when their eyes met. "Yo-Youko, what can I-"

"Where is Kagome?" he asked sternly.

A moment of shock seemed to come over her and Leiko's eyes turned down and searched the ground. "I'm not sure what you are talking about…"

Youkos hands came out and grabbed Leiko's arms tightly. "You know _exactly_ what I am talking about. Your scent is mixed heavily with Kagome's and she is not here. Where is she?"

He could hear her heart rate increase; the sound of pumping blood as well as her heavy breathing rang loudly in his ears. She definitely knew something. There was no mistake. The fear that was radiating off of her was too overwhelming to think differently.

"Youko, what are you doing?"

Youko's eyes left Leiko for the first time to look up at his friend who now stood behind the shaking thing in his hands.

"Your _woman_ knows where Kagome is." He looked back down at Leiko and roughly pushed her away from him. She stumbled back slightly but did not lose her footing. Her hand came up to touch the spot on her arm where his hand had once been as she looked down at the ground, now trying to catch her breath.

Instinctively, Kuronue placed an arm around Leikos shoulders before he looked at Youko incredulously. "What does Leiko know? Is Kagome not here? I thought she would be up in your room?"

Kuronues gaze slowly left Youko's and both of them looked at Leiko now, who was still trying to catch her breath. She had not looked up once and it almost seemed that she was trying to ignore them on purpose.

"Leiko," Kuronue started, "did you do something to Kagome? Do you _know _where she is?" Kuronue asked disbelievingly. She couldn't have…she would have told them by now…or said something was wrong the moment they arrived.

Youko watched as Leiko's eyes searched almost desperately around. It seemed as though she was trying to think of something to say.

"Leiko!" yelled Kuronue.

She whipped her gaze up to that of her lover. "Fine! I'll tell you!" Her eyes seemed almost pleading before they slowly turned towards Youko. "I will tell you what happened to Kagome and where she is!"

* * *

What time was it?

What day was it?

What…

Questions seemed to lump slowly in Kagome's brain as she began to wake up from a deep slumber…even though it was only for a few hours. She tried to sit up but flinched from the pain in her arm and stopped. Using her other hand, she outlined the large bruise that now graced her arm. If she were to press too hard, she knew tears would come to her eyes because of the pain. Ever so slowly, she rose to sit up in the bed she was in.

Someone must have placed her in the large bed because she knew she had blacked out from the pain the night before on the floor.

Her small hand came up to rest lightly against her bruised black and blue cheek that matched the bruise on her arm. She took a deep breath in but suddenly clutched her chest as she screamed down into the comforter.

The beating she had endured the night before seemed to be the worst out of all from Lord Hirohiko. He would usually stop throwing her around the room after about an hour or so…but last night seemed to be twice if not three times as long…she thought it would never end.

Or if it did, it would be because he had killed her.

Her once almost bruise free body (aside from the work she did), was now covered in cuts and bruises. Her face has many small cuts and a large bruise on her cheek. The rest of her body was covered in bruises and cuts in all shapes and sizes as a result from Hirohiko hitting her or throwing her into objects that lined the room.

When the pain in her chest finally subsided, Kagome silently allowed herself to cry, still being mindful not to open her mouth too wide in order for the split in her lip not to widen.

A knock on the door quickly quieted Kagome as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She slowly sat up to see the door open and Koga appeared tray of food in hand.

He came to stand at the side of her bed next to her. He placed the tray down before grabbing her chin in his hand and turned it from one side to the other. She felt his thumb brush against her swollen lip.

"It's a shame that such a pretty face is now so badly bruised."

She glared up at him and slapped his hand away, turning her gaze to the bed instead of looking at him. Just the sight of him disgusted her. "Don't touch me."

Without looking at him, she could feel the smirk on his lips. "You better get ready. Lord Hirohiko will be here in an hour to see you." And with that he swiftly left the room and Kagome to herself.

That…that demon was the reason why she was in this hell hole. After he had ambushed both her and Ai, and knocked Ai out, he had then knocked her out as well only to wake up here. That was when her nightmare had begun.

She would have thought that Hirohiko would have put her in a jail cell, but instead she was in this finely furnished room. She would have preferred a jail cell though; they seemed to be more fitting for the beatings she would have to endure. The only thing this room was missing was a window, other than that it was as close to a jail cell as possible. No matter how nice this room looked to others, it would always be a cell for Kagome.

Taking in a slow shaky breath, her hand grasped the once perfect kimono that was now covered in slits and holes. The once treasured piece of clothing Kagome had was now reduced to almost nothing. It someone looked at her now, they would have never known how nice the garment had once looked.

_Youko…the beautiful gift that you have given me…its ruined. I'm so sorry…I miss you so much…_

Tears sprang to her eyes as she thought of the one she loved. _I miss you Youko…_

* * *

"You mean to tell me that she left with Ai to see her family a few days ago?" asked Kurone as he looked at his lover that sat beside him. He looked to his friend who sat across from them who had his arms crossed across his chest as he kept his eyes on Leiko.

Leiko, who was looking down at her hands in her lap nodded. "Yes. And then Koga had come to see me that same day and asked about Kagome's whereabouts…I told him…but only because he promised me something."

Kuronue glared at her, "You told him because he promised something? What did he promise you?"

The woman clenched her eyes shut and shook her head, "it's nothing…"

"What did he promise you?!"

Slowly their eyes met. "He said that Lord Hirohiko would come for me and take me away from here…but I don't feel the same now…I don't want him to come…I-"

"What?" Kuronue stood suddenly, his movements knocking the chair he was previously sitting on, over. "You _can't _be serious? Does he know where we are?"

Leiko shook her head back and forth almost violently. "No…he doesn't. At least I'm not sure he does…But Kuronue, I don't want to leave now…I was wrong…Koga and I talked on the first day that he arrived and I had found out that he was sent by Hirohiko…. Hirohiko had sent him to find Kagome and to be an inside ally to me and I was to gather information for him. That's all I know Kuronue! I'm so sorry, please forgive me…."

Kuronue's gaze narrowed on Leiko. "If you told the information to Koga…what would come out of it?"

Leikos gaze dropped. "In return, Hirohiko would come here and take back everyone that had been captured at the estate and burn the village…Koga said that I would be free…"

Youko saw his friends gaze turn from anger to sadness to disbelief. "So you used me…us?!"

Leiko suddenly got out of her seat and grabbed a hole of Kuronue's arm. "At first I did Kuronue…but now I don't want to. Please forgive me! I know I have done wrong!"

Kuronue threw off Leiko's hold almost violently. "You are no different now than you were before." He pushed past her and out the door into the night without another word.

Youko, who had watched the scene unfold before him finally stood and pinned her with a glare that shook Leiko's whole body.

"If you had been anyone else I would have killed you. After I find Kagome, you will be punished. Until then, you are forbidden from leaving this place." With nothing more to say, he exited the home and left Leiko to slump to the ground, crying hysterically.

"What have I done?"

* * *

A familiar scent caught Youko's attention and he immediately followed it to come in front of his comrade who had just arrived back from their trip. "Taro, welcome back."

The male demon bowed, "Thank you Youko-sama…" when he straightened, his eyes searched the area desperately. "Do you know where-"

"Ai was last known to be at the village where Kagome grew up," interrupted Youko. "It seems both she and Kagome left without permission and they were ambushed by Koga."

The feline demon's eyes widened. "Ambushed?"

Youko nodded his head. "We don't know the whereabouts of either of them. We do know however, that they only wanted Kagome. I need you to go to Kagome's old village because there is a possibility that Ai is there or close by. Search that area and report back here immediately with or without her."

Taro's worried expression turned to determination. "Yes, Youko-sama. I will be back tonight." Not bothering to say any more, the cat demon disappeared into the woods on his mission. Hopefully he would find Ai quickly and bring her back. There was no telling how badly hurt she was or if she had any information that would help lead them to where Kagome was. That was only if she was not taken away with Kagome…

Turning, Youko came to face his friend Kuronue and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Do you think he will find Ai?"

Youko ran his hand through his long hair. "It is likely as long as Koga did not take her as well. Any information Ai has will be helpful in figuring out what to do next."

Kuronue crossed his arms across his chest, "Do you think they know where we are? That Lord…do you think he is on his way here as we speak?"

The fox demon released a breath. "It is possible that Koga has told that human about our location," his eyes narrowed as he continued. "We still have some time though and if he is on his way here or not, I will be sending out scouts. The forest will also protect us; I will make sure of that."

Suddenly a vine appeared before Youko and using his youkai, he formed a flower in his hands. Moving his hands slowly, he slowly enlarged the flower until it was at the size that he found most fitting before attaching it to the vine and let it disappear into the forest.

Kuronue moved to rest his back against the nearest tree. "If Taro is able to find Ai, there is a chance she was able to see what direction Koga and his mutts ran off in."

Youko, who's gaze was still in the direction of the vanished vine now turned to look at Kuronue. "I will find Kagome with or without Ai's help."

Kuronues pushed off of the tree and turned to look away from his long time friend. "You know…I want to apologize about what Leiko did…I never thought she would do such a thing. I know how much you want to protect Kagome and what Leiko did was not right…I'm sorry…"

Youko's expression became blank as he answered. "For the time being, your woman will not be allowed out of your house. She will be guarded in case Koga tries to send one of his dogs to try and get more information. You are not to see her either."

Kuronue scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I don't care what happens to that bitch!"

At this, Youko raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. He knew his friend didn't mean what he said. It was rather amusing how Kuronue thought that he would take his friend seriously. "In any case, when we return she will be yours to deal with. You can decide then for yourself what happens to her."

Kuronue rubbed his eyes as he heard his friend continue.

"If by chance you allow her to stay with you after we get back and something like this happens again, you will not have the chance to take care of her yourself. I will personally handle it. If you don't want me to interrupt your relationship then you better control your woman."

Their eyes met and Kuronue could see the stern look in Youko's eyes as well as a bit of anger and slight amusement.

* * *

The room was pitch black and Kagome did not allow herself to release one loud breath of air because she could hear it. There was no mistake at what was to come next. It was the all too familiar sound of footsteps getting closer and closer to her room that signaled that Lord Hirohiko was on his way. She was already in so much pain that she seemed to already be numb. Before, when the beatings first began, her body would shiver when she heard the footsteps approaching; now she stayed motionless.

It had taken a lot of energy for her to leave the bed and try to find the farthest corner of the room away from the door. She had wanted to hide in the dark, silently hoping that he might just miss one day of coming into this cell to beat her. Sadly, her hopes were not fulfilled.

Her breath hitched in her throat when the door opened and the light turned on. She could hear his heavy breathing getting louder as he approached the bed. Usually he would stand beside her bed and ask her something before quickly grabbing her by the hair and ripping her out of the bed or from whatever spot she had been previously. This time however, he found a chair and sat down comfortably in it.

He looked at her and crossed one of his legs over the other. "Why haven't you taken this grand opportunity to feel the expensive cloth once again? Every time I come here you always seem to be in the corner until you are unconscious and then placed in the bed. Is it...not to your liking?"

She did not answer him, which he expected.

"You've lived in luxury for a while before going off with that fox…Youko, right?"

Kagome's eyes widened as she finally focused on Lord Hirohiko. He smiled evilly at her.

"I thought you would have missed the luxurious life that Akihito provided for you when you were engaged to him. You should enjoy this room for the time being because when we find this…Youko demon, you and he will both die here and you will never feel such fine cloth again!" He then burst out into laughter before standing up and walking to where Kagome sat.

He could see her push herself as close to the wall as she could before he roughly grabbed her chin to look up at him. The feel of her shaking in his hand made him smile. "You know what comes next, don't you?"

* * *

Hours had seemed to pass before Youko heard his name being called from the tree he was sitting in. Quickly, he followed the voice and came to a small crowd that surrounded a familiar figure.

Without needed to say a word, the crowd seemed to part and he was able to see that it was Taro who held a badly injured Ai in his hands. "Youko-sama, I've found her! I've found Ai!"

Taking a few steps toward the couple, he stood before Taro and Ai. "How is she?" he asked looking down at the injured female.

"She is still in pretty bad shape, but she had managed to take care of most of her wounds before I found her. She is still not fit to leave here though," Taro explained. "She will need a lot of time to heal."

Youko nodded his head and continued to look down at Ai. Her eyes were closed. "Is she concious?"

Taro nodded his head. "Ai, can you open your eyes for a little bit?"

Slowly, both men watched as Ai slowly opened her eyes and faced Youko.

"Ai?" inquired Youko quickly, "I need you to tell me one thing and you are free to go."

Slowly, Ai opened her eyes to look at the fox demon. "Yes Youko-sama?"

"What direction did you see Koga run off to with Kagome?" he asked almost urgently.

She smiled at the sense of his urgency, "North. I saw them run north from Kagome's village. I advise you to put some sort of spell around the area to make it disappear in case he has sent his own men. It has been a few days…" she flinched and she grabbed her side.

Taro's grip slightly tightened, "Shh, don't say any more Ai, you're too weak and in too much pain."

The rabbit demon smiled up at her mate. "Thanks."

Wanting to leave the couple to have their intimate moment, Youko said,"Thank you both," and without staying long enough to hear their response, he left to find Masaru and Kiyoshi. Even though they were young frog demons, they were extremely powerful for their age and they would be able to put up a barrier strong enough to keep intruders out and to hide their location.

On his way his eyes met with Kuronue who seemed to know exactly what was going on and what needed to be done. In a flash he disappeared to assemble demons to go with them.

Thankfully it didn't take long for him to find the twins. "Masaru. Kiyoshi."

Both demons had been wrestling but abruptly stopped when the familiar voice called out to them. They stood up straight before bowing. "Yes, Youko-sama?"

He observed both slightly green demons that stood just to his waist before continuing. "I need both of you to erect a barrier for protection as well as one to hide our location. Are you able to do that?"

Both teens stood up straight and saluted him. "Of course Youko-sama, it will be done in no time!" They looked at each other and nodded before setting off to put up the barrier.

Without hesitation, Youko turned and quickly met up with Kuronue who had gathered a group of twenty demons. He eyed each one of them up and down. All of his men were capable for this journey, but Kuronue seemed to pick the very best to go with them.

"We are ready Youko-sama," came a voice from the small crowd.

It was Taro.

"What do you think you are doing? Where is Ai?"

Taro grinned. "Ai wouldn't let me stay with her and is instead staying with the old woman. She wants me to help you get Kagome back as well as get revenge." His fist balled tightly. "I'll kill all of those wolves that hurt her."

Youko nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

**Authors Note-**

Oh my, it's been so long since I've written a chapter to this story. I'm so sorry everyone. I've gone to college this year and it's been taking up my life sadly. Don't worry; there is only one more chapter to go! Then hopefully this story will be wrapped up nicely. This might be the last story I write for an anime fandom, I seem to be losing my interest in it and instead gaining interest in Korean drama aha! That seems to be the only thing keeping me sane in college.

In any case, check out my profile for updates and such! The final chapter will be full of good things!

Thank you all so much for your reviews, I hope you liked this chapter!

Until next time!


	24. Chapter 24

(**A/N: Update as of 2-1-11: **One shot sequel is up! Check it out, the title is **Sempiternal Redolence!)**

_When I die I'll become a flower,  
You a butterfly  
And we'll live a thousand years on green pastures  
Love, my love, oh my love  
Always be my love_

**First Love**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

There was no stopping them. The pace they were running at was incredibly fast and if you weren't a demon, there would be no possible way for you to see them. It would only seem like a small breeze if they passed a human, but little did they know that behind that slight breeze was a group of very angry and determined demons.

At the front of the group was the silver haired fox demon, Youko. There was no expression on his face as he sped through the forest, hair flowing behind him as he jumped over and dodged trees. The energy that radiated off of him was so powerful that every member of the group could feel it vibrating in the air, causing the hair on their arms to stand straight up. He didn't need to tell his men a word as they followed him; their trust in their leader was something that no demon or any circumstance could break.

Slightly behind Youko was Kuronue, the second in command of the group of thieves. The bat demon followed his long time friend without judgment or trepidation. What Leiko had done to Kagome was inexcusable and so he knew that he had to be a part of the rescue. Yes, he would have gone anyway even if Leiko wasn't involved, but since that was not the case, he felt a strong need to help his friend and try to repair the damage the blonde woman had caused to Youko's lover.

Kuronue had not seen Leiko since their fight, but he knew that when this was all over he would. And when he did, he would definitely give her an earful. More importantly, he would make sure that she herself would ask for forgiveness and take whatever punishment came her way.

To the left of Kuronue was Taro, the male feline demon. A part of his cause for joining the impending battle was to rescue Kagome for the sole fact that his leader, Youko asked it of them. But his main reason was to kill every wolf that had hurt Ai. His lover meant the world to him and it killed him that he had left her back at their hideout. He didn't want to be separated from her for a moment when he found her beaten and broken body but she asked that he join the others and rescue Kagome. He knew that if she was alright, she would have gone also, but since she wasn't allowed to he went in her place. He could tell that she had felt some sort of disappointment in herself for not being able to protect Kagome like Youko had asked and so that made him all the more determined to go and kill as many demons as possible and aid in the rescue for Ai.

Behind Taro then followed the twenty demons that had been gathered by Kuronue. They truly were the best demon thieves from their group. Their sizes ranged from strong and muscular to thin and flexible. Their heights ranged from being shorter than Youko to being a good two to three feet taller than him. Each carried their own set of weapons they had mastered and specialized in as well as even little tricks that could be used on enemy's to confuse them and aid in their winning of the battle.

Together they made one of the most powerful units that any demon, human or group could ever lay eyes on. To be caught in their path at a time like this would only lead to a swift death without ever having the chance to try and escape.

It was a pity however, that a group of Hirohiko's men found their way into that said path.

The group of demons slowed their pace until coming to a complete halt a few feet away from the cocky men that held their flimsy swords in front of them. Their armor was made up of such material that it would be easily destroyed with the swipe of one of their claws. It seemed as though none of the humans knew this since they looked as confident as ever and the demons could hear their comments of a guaranteed win.

With the flick of his finger, Youko signaled for one of the demons to come forward. A shorter demon that resembled a deer stepped forward to stand beside Youko.

The fox demon turned his amber eyes on his comrade and spoke just loud enough so only his group could hear. "I want you to go back to the village and alert them that there is a possibility that Hirohiko's men are headed their way. This might not be the only group that is headed in its direction."

With a nod of his head, the male deer demon turned and disappeared into the brush of the forest to do as his boss told him. He was one of the fastest in the group and the additional speed would surely have him arrive back to the others in no time.

Turning back to the humans that stood a mere few feet ahead of them Youko only had to nod his head to signal the start of the battle. From behind him, five demons of his group leapt ahead of him and engaged in battle with the humans. Youko felt no need to stay and so he along with Kuronue, Taro and the rest of his men continued on. He knew his men could handle themselves and would quickly catch up with them after defeating the small group of humans. If he had felt that it was necessary for him to stay he would have. Since there were bigger enemies that lay ahead however, he knew he had to hurry and continued on.

With a great leap, Youko made his way up a tree and jumped freely into the air just as a loud explosion sounded behind him. He turned his head and saw that in the place where his men were fighting Hirohiko's that there now was a huge crater and the scent of human blood filled the air along with rotting flesh. He continued on still even as he heard the demons that had stayed behind to fight catch up and join them once again.

Night would soon fall upon them in the hour and so they needed to keep the same pace they had previously in order to hopefully find Hirohiko's hiding place within the night time. They would have a much higher advantage fighting at night than during the day. Demons had much better eyesight than humans and who didn't like to fight in the dark? They were thieves after all and the night belonged to them.

After jumping across the tree tops, Youko dropped down to join his group in their pursuit. It was quite odd that Hirohiko would send a group of his men that were so weak and ill-equipped to fight demons such as themselves now that he thought about it. Was it a trick? Or were all of his men armed so pitifully and easy to defeat? In either case it was something that Youko had already experienced in his long life and so he knew he would be prepared no matter what surprises Hirohiko had for them.

He planned to kill that bastard as quickly and as brutally as possible. For what he had those wolves do to Ai as well as for holding Kagome hostage, he would not hold anything back. That filthy and disgusting human would die at his hands and his alone. He should have done it ages ago when he first caught his scent but instead he had left him alone, not thinking he would dare to go against a demon such as himself. As a result of his neglect he was now in this mess that he needed to clean up.

Their running was filled with silence other than the occasional sigh or grunt from jumping to avoid something. They were a team that didn't need to speak much as they traveled and it seemed as if every member enjoyed that. At times it felt like a waste to talk and fill the silence with needless things and so they didn't.

Time seemed to steadily pass as the sun went down and the moon rose. Dusk was almost the perfect time of day for their group. Animals were going to sleep as well as most humans and the night creatures such as themselves could soon come out to play. Eventually there was a delightfully loud and obnoxious sound coming from up ahead of them and the group once again found themselves slowing and jumping up into the trees to the high branches to scope the area.

"Look Youko! It's a castle!" whispered Taro from a branch beside where Youko was crouching.

Slowly and silently pushing the leaves from his line of vision, Youko peered out and down at the semi-large estate that seemed to be bustling with life. He could see from where he was, horses pulling carts filled with armor and weapons as well as men running around and yelling. Youko smirked slightly. So the waste of life was preparing for them to arrive? How nice of him to be quickly preparing. It was a shame that they had arrived probably much sooner than Hirohiko could have expected and by the looks of it, this might be one of the easiest raids he had been on in a while.

Except for this raid, he would not hide from those who saw him. Instead he would make a point to kill everyone he saw that was in his way. Most importantly however, he would kill Hirohiko before he would rescue Kagome so that way they both would know that he was dead and could no longer bother them.

As for Kouga…

Youko glanced at Taro and saw his anxious face as well as his tail flicker in excitement. Turning back to stare intently at the castle, he confirmed in his mind that he would leave the filthy wolf to Taro. It was plain to see that the cat demon so desperately wanted to return the favor Kouga had given to Ai and he would allow that. Even though originally in his mind he thought he would take on both Hirohiko and Kouga, he knew that Taro deserved the chance more than him to deal with the wolf.

The group watched on silently as the castle below them bustled to get ready for an enemy that had already landed on their soil. None of them would expect to see the thieves tonight and that just added to the anxiousness of the whole situation. Catching enemies by surprise was one of their favorite things to do.

When night finally descended upon them and their nerves and anxiousness could not be held back any longer, they silently moved in. Through the trees and brush they made no sound and the group was successfully able to sneak behind the guards of the wall and snapped their necks, instantly killing them.

Youko turned to his men. "Each of you pair up and surround the castle. No one is allowed to escape." He then turned to Taro. "You must find Kouga and take care of him. I will go after Hirohiko and find Kagome."

He watched as his men nodded their heads before disappearing over the wall, leaving Youko with Kuronue. His friend game him a slight grin.

"I won't interfere when you fight Hirohiko or when you find Kagome. Instead I'll be in the shadows and hopefully stealing as much precious gems as possible," he laughed. After cracking his fingers and saluting his friend, Kuronue disappeared over the wall to join in the fight.

Not being one to waste time, Youko crouched before using as much strength as possible to launch him into the air. The force of the jump had his hair flying once again behind him as the wind gushed into his face. As he felt himself falling to the ground from such a high height, he saw his men engaging in fights as the loud screams emerged and filled the air. Explosions started to go off and he could smell the smoke and feel it burn his lungs. Chaos erupted beneath him and gave him a sudden surge of adrenaline as his eyes searched the area to land on the estate where both Hirohiko and Kagome were. He could feel it in his bones and when his feet touched the ground he used so much power that it didn't even seem like he was running but instead, he was soaring.

* * *

The floor beneath her started to rumble once again. It had been happening all day only having let up a few hours ago, but this time it was slightly different. Instead of the constant and steady feeling beneath her feet, it was rapid and at the same time unpredictable. It gave her chills and everything in her 'room' began to move and rattle.

She could hear muffled screaming through the walls before she rushed to place her ear against the wall to try and make out what they were saying. It was difficult to make anything out since even the walls were starting to shake violently but she did hear someone scream 'demon!' and a perplexed expression crossed her face.

"Youko?" she asked herself aloud and her heart skipped a beat. Could it be possible…?

She took in a deep breath and exhaled as she shook her head. It couldn't be, it was just too soon it seemed, for him to find her in such a place as this. She felt another explosion go off and she stumbled back into the room to move away from the wall that seemed to be breaking right before her eyes. Fear overtook her and she staggered to the door, using her bruised hands to pound on the door.

"Help me! Help!" she screamed into the door. She could feel the room behind her heating up and the sound of wood splitting filled her ears. Whatever had arrived at the estate was right outside and fighting its way in mercilessly and she couldn't afford to die at a time like this. She needed to stay alive in order to hopefully see Youko one last time.

Her mind was so determined to get out of the room that was falling apart behind her but her body was just so weak from all the damage Hirohiko had done to her. Her hands fell loosely around the knob of the door that she knew was locked and rattled it before returning to hitting the door, screaming for help.

The door she was pounding on opened abruptly and she came face to face with Kouga. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened and she unconsciously moved away from him.

He grabbed the collar of her kimono though and prevented her from moving any further away from him. "What do you think you're doing? You were yelling for help and here I am to save you. Is this any way to treat your savior?"

Before she could reply she was violently yanked from the room and dragged behind Kouga down the hallway that will vibrating and filled with screams of death. She could see splatters of blood that now stained the walls and feel the heat that seemed to kiss the back of her neck. She tried to turn her head slightly and could see the smoke that slowly followed them along with the orange glow of a fire that started to fill the castle.

"Keep up!" Kouga growled angrily in front of her and yanked just a little bit harder this time.

She could do nothing as he hauled her down endless amounts of steps into the darker regions of the estate where no one had been in what seemed like years. It was covered in cobwebs from what little Kagome could see thanks to the small flicker of a light in the corner. When they reached the bottom, Kouga pulled her to stand in front of him, never once letting go of her collar.

"It seems as though your lover boy is here sooner than we expected."

At that Kagome's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly as tears filled her vision. She saw him evilly smirk down at her though.

"Don't get too excited. He's already been injured and after the wolves go after him there is no telling how well he'll be. And then there is always myself and Hirohiko who will finish him off."

His smirk seemed to widen into a grin at her gasp and he laughed as she tried to free herself from his grasp to get to the stairs but to no avail. When she would not stop struggling, he growled again in irritation and threw her against the back wall of the room.

Her head connected rather painfully to the stone wall and she could hear a crack in her ears before excruciatingly and lifelessly sliding down the wall onto the ground. As her vision started to fade, she could see the wolf demon walk to her, bend down and look into her eyes.

"There is no way that you are going to leave this place or see him alive. So for now," he placed his hand on her head and ran his fingers through her bangs, "you must stay here."

* * *

Hiding in the shadows, Taro watched the wolf demon that he had been searching for throughout the whole compound turn and lock a door before sprinting in his direction. His eyes widened as he watched every part of the wolf demon approach, while he hid, holding himself back so as to not pounce too soon.

He stared at this approaching demon and took in just who had hurt Ai so badly. The male had long black hair and wore a wolf pelt around his body. Taro could see and smell the faint scent of blood that surrounded him, both human and demon blood. He did look like the type to cause grave damage and it gave Taro all the more pleasure thinking of just how to kill this demon in revenge.

When Kouga got close enough, Taro allowed himself to drop from the ceiling rafters and land right in front of the surprised demon. The confused look on the wolf demon made Taro laugh, "You must be Kouga."

At the mention of his name, Kouga smirked. "It's nice to know that I'm somewhat infamous." He stood straight up and looked up towards the roof of the estate. "You're very smart to use the smoke to hide your god awful feline scent…and to come down from the rafters…very impressive. Very…catlike."

Taro flexed his hand in front of his face and revealed his claws. "Thank you. I thought you might enjoy a bit of a surprise." His tail flicked behind him in anticipation, ready to spring at a moment's notice while his ears swiveled to concentrate on any movement.

Kouga smirked before barking out a laugh. "I did for a moment. But I hope that you enjoy my surprise even more so than I enjoyed yours…you see I can act very wolf-like also."

Taro's cat eyes narrowed at Kouga but before he could take a step forward he felt a set of razor sharp jaws lock onto his leg and another onto his shoulder. The force at which he was hit almost dragged him to the ground but because of his quick reflex he was able to catch his footing and scratch at the wolf that had latched onto his shoulder. The pain that it had inflicted was like no other and Taro let out a shriek before crazily scratching the eyes and snout of the wolf until it eventually let go. Blood covered the wolf's face and his claws and as the wolf recovered, Taro turned his attention to the wolf that had attached itself to his leg.

Its head thrashed back and forth, forcing its teeth deeper into Taro's leg and when it felt like it might rip the calf right off, his clawed hands flew to the wolfs head. With a sickening crack, Taro twisted the wolf's head with all his might and snapped it. He barely had enough time removing the head of the wolf from his leg before he felt a punch land on his face, sending him flying.

His body stopped only when it hit the wall and before the wolf demon could land another one, Taro was able to pull himself together and get up, blood pouring from his wounds. He let out a hiss at Kouga. "So that is what you meant by acting like a wolf? I should have guessed you would use your mutts to help you."

Kouga smirked again. "Well wolves do hunt as a pack so it's only natural that we do so in this situation also. We pick off the weakest prey and kill it." He looked directly at Taro and titled his head to the side. "It seems as if you are the weakest here."

At that Taro hissed again, baring his fangs and lunged. The wolf that had been recovering before and surly lost one of his eyes, jumped in between the wolf and cat to defend his master but Taro was quick and sunk his claws into its side. It let out a loud yelp and without missing a step, Taro then threw the wolf at Kouga.

The wolf demon was able to catch his comrade even though the force of impact caused him to slam into and break the wall that had been behind him. Quickly realizing that the wolf in his arms was dead, Kouga rolled him off of his body and to the side just as Taro came flying towards him, crazed.

The shrill cries that left Taro's mouth echoed throughout the whole building and there was not a soul who didn't hear him. "You hurt Ai and now I'm going to kill you!" he shouted and picked up his pace. His claws dug into the wooden floor and he launched himself at Kouga, claws extended, ears back and fangs bared.

The force at which Taro launched himself was too fast for Kouga to dodge and so Taro was able to land a rather deep scratch on the side of Kouga's face, triggering a loud cry out of the wolf demon. In turn, Kouga brought his fist down violently onto Taros back, effectively slamming his body down onto the floor and creating a large indent in the ground. Before Kouga could slam his foot down onto Taro's back, the cat used his reflexes and rolled over before sinking both clawed hands into Kouga's legs and biting down as hard as he could.

No matter how hard Kouga punched, Taro would not let go of his leg and when Kouga bent down to try and pry the cat from his being, he found his head wrapped between Taro's legs. With a swift twist, Taro let go of his leg and sent Kouga flying across the room. Instead of hitting into anything, Kouga was able to catch himself and land in a crouched position. He breathing was labored and the pain in his leg vibrated throughout his whole body.

Taro, who now stood across the room, wiped a bit a blood from the side of his mouth. "I hope you enjoy that poison that is now running through your veins." He slowly walked over to where Kouga was knelt and grabbed him by the hair, forcing their eyes to meet as he sneered down at him.

"You see, my fangs are laced with it and since I was able to get a good bite in to your leg, I was able to push in enough so that it's impossible for your demon blood or any type of healing powers to cure it." Bringing his fist back, Taro violently began to punch Kouga in the face until he let him drop to the ground, unmoving. "You could say it is my special ability."

Grabbing the wolf by the hair again, Taro placed his hand under his chin and he brought his face down to meet his enemy's. "Soon you will feel your body and reaction slow followed by your breathing until every part of every organ in you shuts down. In fact I think you could possibly be slightly blind right now." Slightly laughing, he waved his hands in front of Kouga's face with no response. Abruptly, Taro let go of the wolf and watched as he fell to the floor in a heavy heap. Effortlessly he licked his hands and rubbed both his shoulder and calf before running his hands through his hair and glanced down at the dying demon that was only a few feet away from him.

"I'll let you rot here like what you did to Ai, except you won't be as lucky."

With the flick of his tail, Taro disappeared into the black smoke that was now filling the room.

* * *

The cuts that now marred Youko's arms stung like hell. He didn't have many, but the ones that he did have were taking a bit of a long time to heal. He shouldn't be surprised though, considering he could smell that the weapons the humans used were laced with some sort of poison.

He hadn't expected that they would be armed with guns or that they seemed to have some sort of awareness how to hide and how to fight as a team. It seemed as though at this rate, that they had been prepped on an unexpected attack. Thankfully, since he was a demon, it was easy to find those that were hidden in the dark and took just as less time to kill them off. It was still hard for him to figure out where some explosions would detonate on the other hand and whether or not shrapnel would hit him.

For now though, as he ran through the halls in search of Kagome, he felt somewhat safer because this was very familiar territory for him. Having had thousands of experience going on raids in homes, estates, castles or even on side streets and alleys, he knew how to move in a home stealthily and quietly.

An unexpecting man appeared in front of him and with a quick swipe of his claws against his throat, he was dead on the floor and Youko continued on down the hall. As he progressed, he could faintly smell the scent of Kagome. It lingered just barely in the air, but it was enough to get his feet moving all the more faster.

If he could just get to her and know that she was alright, then he would be able to leave with her and go back to their home and get away from this. He wanted to go back…go back to the way things were before.

He had not totally figured out just what his feelings for Kagome were, but he knew that he had grown attached to her presence and that he always felt excited returning to her. Ever since they had been separated, he felt anxious getting back and almost could not control himself with the thought of her being next to him. When he found out she had been taken, an anger he had never felt before had smothered him and he could think of nothing else but getting her back and as he stopped in front of a dark doorway he could tell that the time was now here.

An explosion went off in the background, the sound of wooden planks being ripped from one another rang in the air, but nothing could turn Youko's attention away from the dark room that he focused so intently on. The only source of light that Youko could see was a faint flicker of a candle in the back and it was by no means close to him at all, giving the hidden room a very large feeling to it even without stepping inside.

But he knew by the scent and pure fiber of his being what lay in that room. The scent was unmistakable and not only that, it was what had been laced with Kagome's ever so faint scent. Flexing his claws, Youko stepped into the room. He must have used it purposefully to lead him here and Youko found himself growling in anger. He found himself a few feet inside the room and away from the doorway, black smoke slowly trailed in after him, filling his nostrils once again with the scent of burning wood and even flesh.

"So you've finally arrived now have you?" came a bellowing voice from the back of the room. The once small flicker of a light turned into a larger one that was a continuous flame that surrounded the room, allowing Youko's eyes to focus on the man of the hour. He was wearing much of the same armor that had covered his men in but his looked to be slightly more durable and stronger from what Youko could see. He sat leisurely in a chair, a glass of wine in hand. Behind him was something large and covered in a sheet, a possible hidden card that Hirohiko held.

"You've been expecting me? How kind of you," replied Youko as his hand reached nonchalantly into his hair to pull out a rose. Bringing it to his nose, he took in the aroma. "I've never experienced such a warm welcoming before."

He heard the man laugh and then take a swig of his wine. "Then come closer and I will show you the warmest welcome party you have ever seen!" Throwing his glass to the side, Hirohiko stood up just as it shattered against the ground. Pulling the sword from its sheath at his side, he held it to his face and gazed at it as if it were the most interesting thing on the planet. "It shall be a grand night now wont it?"

Youko could only smirk at the comment before channeling his power into the rose, creating a whip filled with thorns. Slowly, he advanced on the human. His eyes focused intently on his target that only stood on the other side of the large dojo like room. His feet were firm on the ground and he could feel the anticipation building as he drew near.

Suddenly, the floorboard beneath Youko's foot seemed to be slightly flimsy compared to the others and an audible click rang in Youko's ears. Instinct took over and he propelled himself back towards the doorway just as an explosion went off where he once stood, sending wooden pieces as well as shrapnel flying in the air. Pieces of wood scrapped his body while he felt small pieces of metal lodge into his skin as a large cloud of smoke filled the room.

Laughing could be heard once again from the back of the room. "What's wrong demon? I thought you wanted an amazing welcoming party! But how am I supposed to celebrate with you when you cannot even make your way over here?"

When the smoke cleared Youko used his claws to pluck a piece of metal from his arm and threw it to the floor. "I should have given you more credit for thinking of such a useful way counter to my fighting. You have left me pleasantly happy with this outcome."

From across the room Youko could see the smile widen across Hirohiko's face. "Is that so now? Then you will feel ecstatic to know that not only is the floor of this room covered in bombs, but so are the walls as well as the ceiling. Even I have no idea as to where exactly they are located. It will make it all the more exciting to see you find a pathway towards me. In the mean time however," at this he paused and turned to the contraption that was behind him.

Grabbing a part of the sheet with his large hand, Hirohiko tossed it to the side revealing a large silver weapon that looked much like a cannon and rested on two wheels. "Are you curious as to what this is demon?"

Youko didn't even bother replying; instead he scanned the room silently with his eyes, formulating a plan in his head. When he heard the clanking of metal against metal he turned his gaze to rest upon Hirohiko.

"This my friend is a Gatling gun. You might have seen one at least once before. These things can fire one thousand rounds in one minute." He pet the gun as if it were a beloved animal before continuing. "But if you couldn't tell mine is special compared to the others and if you haven't noticed the theme to today's festivities I will let you in on the secret right now, just for your pleasure!" Bending down he pulled one lone bullet from the large box that sat next to the oversized gun and brought it up for Youko to see. "These precious things are filled with poison, but a much more lethal dose than those that were in the guns that were fired at you earlier." He threw it up into the air before catching it and used it to load a slot on the gun.

The sneer that Hirohiko turned on Youko was not full of fun or evil play, but instead revealed a much more sadistic and bizarre side to him. "It was so much fun having that woman…Kagome was it? Yes…it was so much fun having her here. She is my most welcomed guest and it's a shame you cannot see her...although I'm not sure if you would even recognize her even if you did. She has changed a lot since she has been here, and I must say it is not for the better." He laughed loudly and Youko clenched his hand by his side.

"Well now, enough! Let the festivities begin demon!" a crazed laugh escaped the human as his hand went to the crank and with such force he began to automate the gun, sending bullets flying in Youko's direction.

On instinct, Youko quickly moved out of the way only to feel his foot land on yet another bomb that quickly exploded once he removed his foot. Shrapnel was once again sent flying everywhere and Youko thrust his whip into the air and with the flick of his wrist, he prevented most of the damage from hitting him. However, he now scaled the wall and even with as much speed as he possessed he could feel the bombs beneath his feet detonate. It sent him flying through the air as Hirohiko pointed the Gatling gun at him. One bullet landed in his shoulder while others scrapped his arms, legs and torso as he flipped through the air.

Thrusting his whip forward, Youko tried to wrap it around the gun itself but found that the bullets quickly destroyed the whip until it was completely useless. Tossing it to the side he flipped backwards until he reached his previous spot at the doorway where he knew there were no bombs. Quickly and almost violently he dug his claws into his shoulder and removed the poisoned bullet and threw it to the side with a wince.

He only had a moment more to breath before Hirohiko sent another slew of bullets his way and he once again had to run towards his enemy. Grabbing another rose from his hair, Youko held it out in front of him and blew slightly on it, causing the petals to go flying into the air. Using his yoki the petals began spinning rapidly and headed right towards Hirohiko.

Noticing this, Hirohiko turned the Gatling gun on them and was able to destroy many of the petals while the others grazed and scratched his armor or was even to get a good slice of his exposed skin on his hands and face. However this did not stop him and he quickly returned aim on Youko who had summoned yet another rose whip that was headed straight towards Hirohiko's head.

Before he was able to land a killing blow, Youko was once again catapulted by an explosion away from his target and watched angrily as the helmet that once stood atop of Hirohiko's head fell to the ground.

"You almost had me there! I'll make sure that doesn't happen again though!" barked Hirohiko once again as his cranking of the weapon increased. This time he was able to graze a bullet against Youko's face and smiled triumphantly to himself.

Not only did Youko have to worry about the extremely sensitive bombs that littered the room but the bullets that continuously flew in his direction left him little time to breathe and he could not afford to make a fatal mistake.

This mere human before him seemed to be getting the best of him but he would allow it no longer. This man had taken something that was his and instead of fighting him one on one, he had littered the room with cheap tricks knowing that on sheer strength alone, he was no match for Youko. Now, as the fox demon ran through the smoke and as bombs exploded around him with bullets flying through the air, he made a decision.

With the swift push of his legs, Youko catapulted himself into the air and retrieved yet another rose. Instead of creating a whip or a petal waltz, this time he channeled his yoki into the rose to change into a vine that wrapped around his arm and created a sword-like weapon. When his feet touched the ceiling, he propelled himself down straight at Hirohiko, arm extended with the razor sharp tip aimed straight at his head.

He watched as the pitiful human aimed the gun straight at him and his expression that was once filled with craze slowly turned to that of horror when he realized that Youko would no longer dodge the poison filled bullets. He could feel them enter his body in random places, only slowing his pace ever so slightly but he continued on despite the protests of his body. Instinct kept telling him to get out of the way of danger and pain but he would not allow himself to move. The only thoughts that ran through Youko's mind were of killing the man that stood below him for everything he had done. For all the hurt and pain he had caused Kagome, he would kill this man.

When his sword finally connected with the man's head, Youko could not feel anything. He knew that now, bullets filled his body but he could not feel the poison or the pain. Instead the only thing that filled his mind was the wide eyes expression of Hirohiko as his sword sliced into his skull. Although he could see the enormous amount of blood squirting from the man's head, he could not feel it land on his face or body. He was totally numb in that moment other than savoring the fact that he had won yet another fight and this one was not for just himself.

As the lifeless body slid from the sword and landed on the ground a familiar click rang in his ears and another explosion went off, ripping the floor from beneath him and sending him flying through the air.

* * *

Explosions and screams filled the air, while Kuronue made his way most expertly through the shadows and into a hidden room that he found while the rest of the men fought. Opening safes and debunking codes were his specialty and in no time they were opened and his large bag that had been strapped to his back was now filled with priceless goodies that he would share with the rest of his men.

It made him giddy inside but he had to calm himself because he was there after all, for a bigger and better reason. And if he had predicted correctly and followed the correct scent, he was in the room that would even lead him to what all the men here were looking for.

Kagome.

As if almost in a dance with himself, Kuronue let his feet search the ground and feel for the slightest soft spot. Explosions all the while rattled the room but his concentration was so intense that not even that could possible deter his attention. When he finally found the spot, he froze for but one moment before jumping slightly in the air and thrusting both legs down to break the wooden boards beneath him to reveal another hidden room.

He stood beside the hole he had just created and inhaled the scent that assaulted his nose. It was by no means pleasant but it was familiar. He had hit the jackpot and without hesitation, he easily ripped the floorboards away and let the light stream down to land on a small, dirty form that lay almost lifelessly on the ground. If he hadn't heard her extremely faint breathing, he would have thought she was dead.

Quickly and quietly, he floated down to the ground and landed right in front of the girl that his most trusted friend cherished the most. She looked absolutely horrible, almost like a totally different person. She was covered in bruises and scratches and dirt and Kuronue could just tell by the sight of her that she had broken bones.

Nevertheless, she was alive and that brought a slight smile to his face as he kneeled down and ever so gently and slowly brought her into his arms and cradled her to his chest. He felt like he was handling the most precious gem to ever grace the planet because he knew that if Youko were to find out that he had hurt her in any way possible, that he would be skinned alive.

He looked down at her and saw her unfocused eyes open slightly to try and look at him but he knew she was too weak to see anything. So instead, he gave her reassurance that he knew she would hear.

"Kagome, you're alright now. I've got you."

Gradually recognition graced her face as her eyes started to water before she fell once again into a deep sleep, going almost completely limp with exhaustion in his arms. He could feel his chest constrict as he continued to look down at the helpless creature in his arms, wondering how someone could possibly torture someone like Kagome and leave her in such a state carelessly.

A loud explosion, much louder than any he had heard all day, drew his attention away from the girl. Looking up, he realized that it was now time to go and get his long time friend from the battle he just won before he ended up dying of blood loss and an overdose of poison. It was a good thing that Taro actually knew the remedy for the poison the humans had used around here. His remedy had even helped prevent death from many of their comrades and he just knew that Youko would need a rather large dose of the remedy. It was just a feeling he had.

But, his feelings were never wrong.

* * *

When she heard the familiar voice telling her that everything was okay, Kagome knew she could finally let her body rest. It wasn't the type of rest that she allowed herself occasionally when she knew she was in Hirohiko's home; instead it was one where she knew she was safe and let her body heal itself without worry. The feeling was refreshing and peaceful because even though it was something small, it was what Kagome had longed to do for a while now.

She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep for, but when her eyes finally fluttered open, she did not fear waking up and instead allowed herself to look about the familiar room that she had longed for. She looked down at the silken sheets that covered her now clean and bandaged body and held them to her chest as she tried to get up. However, she was quickly stopped by a large warm hand that lightly pushed her back down onto the bed.

"Don't get up. You still are not fully healed," came a voice from beside her. It was so close and so familiar that she didn't even need to turn her head to see who it was.

Tears sprang to her eyes as she turned to come face to face with the one person who she longed for day and night while living in the hell hole. She thought she would possibly never see him again but here they were, together covered in bandages in the bed that they shared together. He gave her a slight grin as she whispered his name under her breath before forcing her still broken body closer to his. When his arms came to rest around her, pulling her close to his chest, she couldn't help but break down.

She felt his hand come under her chin and lift her tear streaked face to look at him. Without saying a word he leaned in and kissed her almost desperately on the lips and breathed in her name as his lips kissed every inch of her face until he pulled himself slightly back to look at her. Only then did she allow her shaking hands to rest on his face. Using her thumb she brushed his cheek slightly and moved his bangs to the side and searched his eyes.

"I knew you would come for me. I missed you so much." She cried again into his chest and allowed herself to be pulled even closer to Youko. She felt him nuzzle the side of her face as one hand wrapped around her waist and the other that she was using as a pillow came up to stroke her hair. His breath against her ear made her shiver.

"Please stay with me forever."

His declaration was something she had longed to hear since they had met, since the first moment she laid eyes on him. The happiness that now filled her being was unlike any other and even though it was slightly painful, she wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder.

"I will. For as long as I live, I will never leave your side."

And she knew that no matter what she would always be with him. Through good times and even bad times, she would always be there for him to comfort him in any way that she could. There would be no reason for her to ever leave without him again.

She would live the rest of her life with Youko, her first love.

* * *

**Authors Note**

After…four years I have completed my second fanfiction ever. I am so thankful and sorry at the same time for those of you who have been waiting for chapters and have stuck with me through quick updates and very slow updates.

I really hope that those of you who have stuck with it enjoyed the ending and the action because I know that this was my favorite chapter to write. Maybe it was because I was constantly listening to Chuno OST music as I wrote it and wouldn't you know? It really helped speed things along ahah.

I'm not sure if I will ever write again, I wouldn't totally count it out but I know that I will not post another fanfiction unless it is totally complete or if more than half is done because I refuse to have readers wait years again for one of my fanfictions to be completed.

Again, thank you everyone for all your love and support throughout the years with this story as well as with A Wolf's Cry, you have all made me so happy as a writer and no words can express my gratitude.

Love,

Dark Paine


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